Echoes of Valar: We Are The Final Cry of Man
by IY Geek Gal
Summary: I wonder vaguely if it’s just the sense of fulfillment that lingers on the air that draws me toward this end that will only be satiated with bloodshed. Perhaps I was meant to come here with them and protect all that we’ve seen. To be the lights of tomorow
1. Missing Friends

Disclaimer:

**Mackenzie: **Katie does not own any Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles references mentioned in this fic.

**Geoff**: pops outta nowhere Am I in this chapter at all?

**Katie**: No, but you come in soon. It's in the script, didn't you read it?

**Geoff**: shifty eyes I prefer to think of myself as a sort of…free actor…scripts are beneath me!

**Mackenzie**: Don't DARE diss the script!

**Amy**: He dissed the script? The horror! The horror!

**Katie**: Yeah, there's some major stuff in here for you.

**Geoff**: Gimme! snatches script out of thin air Coolness…awesome….okay, I'll do a script.

**Katie**: sarcastically so glad you lowered yourself to our level.

**Geoff**: Oh don't worry. I'm not at your level if, oh, only for one chapter.

**Katie**: -- #. # #. #

**Amy**: hastily Moving on….here's the fic!

"Hey, did you hear?"

"That story about the 5 kids who suddenly vanished?"

"One of 'em was Mackenzie, right?"

"Yeah, she's been gone for two weeks now. Supposedly, she vanished in this very school…,"

These words were exchanged among the many kids in my school for the past two weeks; ever since the vanishing of 5 kids. One was Mackenzie, supposedly. She had been kidnapped, supposedly. Or murdered, supposedly; nobody really knew what _actually _happened to her. Rumors flew everywhere, and the odd mishap was still the best piece of gossip.

The hall in which the kids had vanished from was now called 'M-Hall' and nobody went down that way anymore. This caused teachers to get upset and parents get called, but still…no one wanted to go down the hallway. It was haunted…supposedly.

Hi. My name is Kaitlyn. I am fourteen years old. I attend the eighth grade. I have…well, I _had_ five best friends. Now my group is just two. They are me and Amy. Nich, Morgan, Hanna, Sarah, and Mackenzie were once with us, but they're gone now. The girl who vanished first was Mackenzie. It really freaked me out, along with everybody else, and I had no clue what to do.

At first, I thought Mackenzie was just playing hooky. She never really came across as the kind of girl who liked school. But when she didn't come back after the first week, me and my friends got really scared, and searched the school and the entire town calling out for her. We organized a search party also, though to no avail.

That was ages ago. A millennia, and yet, I can still see their faces perfectly in my mind. I can't really remember everything that happened in that other world. I'm still fourteen, but I feel like a grand weight has been placed on my shoulders. Let me tell you the story of how my friends _truly _disappeared…

It was a dark, cold, and silent February evening; Friday the thirteenth, to be exact. Amy and I were planning on sneaking into the school and putting up search posters for our missing friends…again. I couldn't just dump my friends though, could I? I was wearing all black, my hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the base of my neck. Amy had her hair in two low piggie tails and also wore black. We would need the coverage of night.

"You ready?" Amy asked breathlessly as we neared the school. It looked ominous; it loomed up higher than it seemed in the daytime with its pitch-black windows and no cars in sight. I nodded and together, we made a break across the street and climbed the chain-linked fence that had been put up after the disappearances. It had been built for extra security measures.

I landed with a soft 'kush' on the dewy grass on my feet like a cat. Above me, Amy toppled over the edge and fell not but two inches from me. I stifled a laugh with difficulty and helped her up.

"You're evil," Amy snarled under her breath, taking my hand and standing. She readjusted the straps on her back and made her way towards a window. I followed after her, a stupid smile still plastered on my face. I stopped. Something had moved in the window, I was sure of it. Was it Mackenzie?

"Amy, wait up," I whispered urgently. She halted and turned to face me. For some reason, I could feel beads of sweat prickling on my brow and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I didn't like this eerie feeling I was getting. Was that the supposed-kidnapper in there?

"What is it?" Amy asked, staring at me.

"I see something…," I whispered, treading lighter than normal.

I peeked into the window through which I had seen the shadow. I saw the make out of the media center across the hall. I tilted my head from side-to-side, peering down the halls: nothing.

"What's your deal? I don't, and didn't, see anything," Amy said unexpectedly from behind, causing me to jump. I slapped her. "Katie!!" she yelped.

"Oh, Lord. I'm sorry, Amsters. You startled me. That's all," I explained. "Here, gimme the knife," Amy bitterly handed me the weapon, point towards me. I gingerly flipped the knife around and used the point to carve a hole into the window. I then licked my palm and pushed it onto the circle. It popped out into my palm.

While Amy disposed of the glass, I reached in and twisted the little knob which kept the window locked. It popped; I pushed the window in and climbed through.

"C'mon, Amy," I muttered, looking behind me. '_There's that feeling again…that feeling of being watched…'_

I helped my BFF climb through and set her down on the floor. Boy was the school dark.

"So, where do you wanna start?" Amy asked casually, refolding the knife into its safety position and putting it into her pocket. She stiffened. We were in 'M-Hall.'

"Oh, come _on!_" I snarled, grabbing Amy's wrist and dragging her down towards the office and the end of the hallway.

_Clackity-clackity-clack. _

"What the heck was that?!" Amy whispered frantically in my ear. We had both stopped and were listening intently for any sign of further noise: nothing. I shrugged off the fear.

"Oh, Amy, it's probably just…cockroaches! Yeah, cockroaches," I replied, trying hard the mask my feelings from Amy.

_Clackity-clackity-clack. _

"Katie! Something's moving! It's big!!" Amy moaned, gripping my upper arm painfully tight in a vice-like grip. I cringed. I had seen it too. It looked…well…relatively human. It had hooves…

_Clackity-clackity-clack._

"KATIE!!" Amy shrieked.

'_Wait a second…hooves? A hooved human? Nothing human has hooves…' _ I thought. I was concentrating deeply.

"KATIE!! IT'S COMING TOWARDS US!!" Amy cried.

"What? Huh?" I mumbled, still in my reverie. Amy sighed and jerked me along at a pace I never thought possible for her.

"Snap out of it, Kate! We're being chased!!" Amy bellowed. That did it.

"Huh?" I looked over my shoulder. The thing, whatever it was, was chasing us. And it was fast. When I turned back around, I landed face-first on the corner and fell backwards. I felt my body hit the ground and warm blood trickle down between my eyes. I felt woozy and collapsed to the floor.


	2. What Would Change My Life Forever

Disclaimer

**Author:** HA! In your FACE! I remembered to update! Hahahaha! Beat THAT! sticks out tongue and shakes butt in weird dance

**Katie:** O.O My eyes…they buuuuuuuurrrrrn…

**Hanna:** Just back away and maybe it won't notice us…

**Author:** What're you two whispering about back there?

**Katie:** Damn. Too late.

**Amy:** Eeeeeee! What is that thing?!

**Sarah**: I don't know…

**Author:** I am your creator! Bow to me! BOOOOW TOOO MEEEE!

**Katie:** No.

**Author:** You dare defy me?!

**Katie:** Uh. Yeah.

**Author:** --u

**Amy:** Isn't this supposed to be a disclaimer?

**Hanna:** Shut up.

**Katie:** Don't be talking Hanna. You're just a useless blob.

**Hanna:** --u I am not a useless blob.

**Amy:** Are so.

**Nich:** reading script Oh my God, do I have to say this?!

**Author:** If you want cookies, you read script.

**Nich:** All I want is laser hair removal.

**Katie:** Why?

**Nich:** My mustache is evil.

**Author:** Annnnyway…Amy is right; this thing is like, a page long disclaimer, so ON WITH THE FIC! CHARGE BRAVELY INTO THE UNKNOWN!!

**Katie:** How is it unknown, if like, you already wrote it?

**Author:** Well, the READERS don't know. Unless of course, they hacked my account gasps YOU DIDN'T! runs off crying

**Katie:** Here's the fic. --uuuu

**Sarah: **adjusts mic In answer to my first review. loves to yeeew!! This IS a Final Fantasy story, just not with the characters like Cloud and Tifa and such. I just use the names and weapons, places and monster. Help?

**Everyone:** . throws rocks at her

Then I heard, "Y-Y-You stay a-w-way from her, you, MONSTER!!" Amy was standing beside my body with the knife opened and pointed at the thing.

"Amy, what…is it?" I asked thickly.

"It's…it's a...I don't know what it is, Katie! It's a beast of some sort. It's got the back end of a horse, but its face…its torso…It's so familiar…Mackenzie??"

"?!" I sat up real fast, causing myself to swoon. I turned around and used my hands to steady myself while I got a good look at the thing Amy had described. It was a centaur. It bore the resemblance of…

"No…it's not possible!! Mackenzie?" I asked quizzically.

The thing I believed to be Mackenzie stayed in the shadows, so I couldn't see its face. I heard Amy dig around in the backpack and pull out the flashlight. She turned it on and pointed it at the beast.

"It IS you!" Amy gasped. I felt my own mouth hang open at the sight of this Mackenzie-type centaur. It resembled Mackenzie, there was no doubt about it, but it was old…so very old. Her once long brown hair was now white, and braided down her back. Her eyes were now the lightest blue, and she no longer had the mischievous face of evil. I also took in the fact that she was wearing some kind of…old-fashioned armor of sorts. In one of her gnarled hands, there was a spear. Long, wooden, and sharp.

"What happened to you?" I asked Mackenzie tenderly. No way was this normal. Mackenzie slowly came further into the beam of the flashlight and knelt down in front of Amy and me, laying the spear across her knees. She cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Um...know what she's doing?" Amy asked me. I shrugged as Mackenzie sniffed us. Then she spoke. Her voice was cracked and wheezy.

"Katie? Amy: my old friends!" Mackenzie exclaimed, encircling us both in a huge bear-hug. Her spear clattered to the floor. _'That's the biggest understatement of the century.'_ I thought sarcastically. I couldn't help it. It's part of my nature, really. Her cracked voice really surprised me.

"What's with the armor?" Amy asked. Mackenzie sighed and sat down on some nearby steps.

"It's good to see you guys after 60 years too, you jerks. So, did they find the fountain of youth or something? How didja stay so young?" Mackenzie asked, eyeballing us. I felt weird: fountain of youth? What kinda crap was that?

"Um…Mackenzie, it's still 2007….," I said slowly, sitting next to Mack and placing a hand on her shoulder…er, armor plate.

"No way, you mean, it's not 1281??"

"Um, do, I'm sure she's sure," Amy added, nodding her head and taking the seat opposite me, "So how about you? Did you find the fountain of oldness?"

"Were you kidnapped by scientists and mutated?" I asked interestedly, poking Mackenzie's legs.

"Don't touch those! It's still sore after that last war!" Mackenzie snapped irritably, slapping my hand away. I eyed her, _'War?' _

"Explain to us where you were gone for two weeks and how this…erm…happened to you," Amy commanded, sitting up straight and looking concerned. Mackenzie sighed, resigned to her fate, and began. Man, this was gonna be good!

'Well, as you may know, I had set fire to the Brittany Spears poster in the library," Mackenzie began, getting that far-away gleam in her eye. Amy smirked and looked at me. We had planned on doing that also. "Well, somehow, I got caught and I had the whole teachers' staff chasing after me for the longest of time. I ran all over the school before I managed to lose them. I planned on hiding in the janitor's closet at the end of the hall down there," she pointed back the way we had come, "but then the teachers showed up and I just decided to try and bolt out the doors The last thing I could remember at that moment was a locker door flying open and this bright blue light sucking me in. It felt like I was being sucked through a large rubber tube," Mackenzie stopped for a breath. I thought over the tale skeptically. "I can't remember much after that, except for the war I just fought in," Mackenzie bent down and grabbed her spear. She pointed the flashlight down at it. Blood was caked along the shaft.

"Nasty," I said sarcastically. Mackenzie smiled.

"I'm glad you guys are all right, but if you don't mind, I'm going to go back. I have some…unfinished business to attend to," Mackenzie said conversationally, standing up and galloping down the hall.

"Big Mack, wait up!" Amy called.

"Yeah, WE WANT TO HELP!" I cried. Dang, horses are faster than I thought. I realized this as I tore after Mackenzie on my two _human_ legs, my chest heaving. The searing stitch in my side and the cut on my forehead burst into flames. I screamed and crashed into Amy who, in turn, hit Mackenzie, and we slid past the window I had broken quite fast.

All of a sudden, there was a loud _BANG_ and locker number 666 flung open with such force that it dented the locker beside it: A bright light emanated from it. I was blinded. The next thing I knew, all sound had been shut off and I was soaring through a tightly compressed tube. My ears popped really painfully and I tried crying out, but my voice fell flat. I couldn't breathe. I blacked out.


	3. I Think I've Been Here Before

Disclaimer

**Katie:** You do realize that this thing's not really a disclaimer; it's more like a comic strip?

**Nich:** You know, I don't really think that she cares.

**Author:** Nope! .

**Katie: **rolls eyes Good grief. We're being controlled by YOU? NOW I'm afraid.

**Amy:** Yeah.

**Author:** Is that an insult?

**Geoff:** Yeah.

**Everyone Besides Geoff:** WHEN IN HELL DID YOU GET HERE?!

**Author:** You don't come in 'til later!

**Geoff:** Morgan was annoying me and making fun of me backstage.

**Amy, Nich, and Katie:** Go Momo!

**Author:** --; ; ; Here's the fic.

When I next woke up, I took great, huge gulps of air, filling my lungs with life-giving oxygen. My eyes flew open and I blinked several times before my jaw dropped for the second time that night…or day as it was here. A bright, hot sun beat down on my black clothes from directly above. I then realized I was sweating. And lying under a bush…on top of Amy and Mackenzie!!

"Oh, my god, I am soooooooo sorry!" I cackled, rolling off my friends. I slapped them both a couple of times and they woke up.

"Ahh, I remember this place now…," Mackenzie whispered fondly.

"Um…I don't think that we're in Kansas anymore…," Amy whispered nonplussed in a stupid tone of voice. I nodded my agreement, and wiped sweat from my face.

"Mackenzie, where in the world are we?" I asked disbelievingly, getting a good look at my surroundings. I was in a large, stone courtyard. The grass I was sitting on was tall and prickly, and made my hands itch something fierce. A huge stone wall surrounded a 100 by 40 foot perimeter of the grass which had bushes of flowers and other plants and wildlife growing on it. I turned and got an even bigger surprise. There was a large stone house crudely built with chopped and cracked black and grey stones stacked on top of one another. It had about three floors. A dirt path wound its way from an arch in the wall to the front door.

"Welcome, my friends, to River Belle Path," Mackenzie said.

I cried out and jumped up hysterically pointing around me. "This…is not…normal…!" I stuttered, wondering how I had gotten here. '_I definitely saw that blue light though. I'm positive of that…,'_

"So, Mackenzie, you recognize this place?" I heard Amy ask calmly, standing up and brushing the grass off her bottom.

"Yes, actually, this is the palace of Queen Goldberry," Mackenzie explained, shaking her horse butt. (No pun intended. -) "She's the ruler of the kingdom of-,"

"River Belle Path…," I mumbled, freezing where I stood.

"Right," Mackenzie chirped, seeming immensely pleased that I, with my limited intelligence, had grasped a concept so quickly.

"I've read about it before…somewhere…In a book, that much I'm sure of. It was a huge, leather-bound tome in a very old library that burnt down five years ago! It was a book about this ancient city!" I exclaimed, punching a fist with my palm. I got excited very easily then.

"Riiiiiight, Kate. Now, let's go get you guys cleaned up in the palace. I've been working as….an agent of sorts, I guess you could say," Mackenzie said, leading the way up the long stone path to the great oak doors set on oil-bearing hinges. It was huge! And Mackenzie, the only one having the height advantage, was the one who had to ring the large brass knocker set about seven feet off the ground.

"I could've done that…," Amy muttered mutinously.

The doors swung open after several awkward moments. I fidgeted nervously, trying to remember anything I could out of the book, but nothing came to me. I noticed that Mackenzie, despite her age, stood straight, tall, and proud and never showed the curve of her back. I decided I'd better do the same, to look presentable. I discussed this with Amy and she agreed.

We each got on a side, with the centaur between us. When I flung my arms down to my sides, I hit something in a hard, long, plastic tube. I looked down and saw a sword. I gulped and looked up. I gasped.

What seemed to be a mutation of my friend Sarah L. and a bear stood before me. I restrained the urge to scream with joy.

"Ah, Mackenzie, you've finally returned! It's been days!" Sarah-Bear exclaimed, throwing her arms around Mackenzie and Mackenzie did the same. Sarah had also aged, but not nearly as much as Mackenzie. '_Freaky time thing, really,'_ I thought nervously, as I looked at Sarah and waited for her response to us.

"You brought enemies to the castle?!" Sarah bellowed, slamming the doors in our face again.

"No wonder she's a bear! She's gotta have brute strength to be able to slam those huge, heavy doors like that!" Amy snarled viciously. I nodded my agreement over the bickering of Mackenzie and Sarah through a little window-type thing in the door. Sarah only reopened the doors when Mackenzie yelled,

"SARAH, DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE THE FRIENDS YOU HAD BEFORE YOU CAME HERE?!"

Then Sarah stepped out cautiously and peered intently at me and Amy. I had that really strange feeling that I was being stripped and poked like some kind of lab rat. I hated that feeling. Amy went under the same procedure before Sarah mumbled something inaudible and led the way into the castle.

"Finally," Amy sighed.

I gasped. It was so beautiful, so much more magnificent than I could have possibly imagined. There were high ceilings that came to tall peaks every now and then, held up by huge pillars painted red and gold. The pillars lined an obviously-old velvet rug that was about fifty feet long and patched in places. Otherwise, the floor was made up of roughly-hewn stones like the walls, which had many old portraits of scary looking half-human half-beast creatures. What kind of people lived here? At the end of the carpet was a large golden throne with a satin cushion, and set with many glittering jewels. It looked like the cleanest thing in sight. The ruler must have been kept in high honor.

There was a woman sitting in the golden throne, I noticed, with long flowing gold hair in a long braid, and deep, dark brown eyes.

_'What's with the braid thing?'_ I wondered.

"Your majesty," Mackenzie said, bowing low to the woman.

"You're full-human?" Amy questioned in surprise. Mackenzie gasped and mumbled a flurry of words. This was obviously very rude, even _I_ knew that….Even though, I myself, was about to ask the same question.

"I apologize a thousand times over for my friend. She's rude when she's plastered," Mackenzie explained hastily, her face a bright red. The queen eyed me and Amy with a cold indifference I found rude. I didn't like her, and she didn't like me. It was a hate-hate relationship, and that was A-OK with me. But for now, I decided it was best to go formal. This woman could seriously hurt me if she thought Iwas disrespectful.

"Your Majesty," I said in my most sickly-sweet voice as I curtsied. I felt sweat trickle down my back and had a strong feeling I stunk. What a horrible feeling! And in front of a 'queen' yet! ICK! Soon after, Amy bowed. Rather reluctantly too, it seemed.

"Your Highness, these are my friends I told you about from 'Beyond the Shrub.' They are the main reason I left. To get help for us in this war! I believe they may be able to bring us more warriors!" Mackenzie chirped, mopping her brow with the back of her hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa: warriors? There's totally something I'm not getting here, and it's truly freaking me out. First of all: where the heck am I? Two: Are there _other_ people from _our_ world here? And three: Why do you need warriors?!" I asked, taking the offensive for the first time since coming into the rather dank palace. The queen glowered at me, and I shrank behind Amy who smirked.

"One: You are in River Belle Path. Two: I am not sure about your _other world_, but I believe my servant, Mackentosh here, may be able to answer that question, and three: there is a war going on in my domain, the likes of which has never been seen before. But I am weak now, and unable to participate in it. Mackentosh will explain further. For now, I will give you two accommodations and a change of clothing. I do not wish many of my people to know of the land Beyond the Shrub, lest they abandon me, for your peace. I go now to my chambers, and Mackentosh, do not disturb me unless it is dire. I am feeling ill," Queen Goldberry said, standing up and stretching. She groaned as her bones ached. She reached for a plain wood cane at the ground and stumped off.

"Yes Your Majesty," Mackenzie muttered, bowing as the queen waved her off.

"She seems…nice…," I said untruthfully.

"Well, I don't like her at all! What's her deal, calling you a servant?!" Amy exclaimed as Mackenzie led us through several more wood doors to a room at the end of a long hall, lined with portraits. I paused at one, and peered at a golden nameplate beneath it.

"Whoa, Mackenzie, so there _is _a war!!" I cried, pointing at the plate. It read, 'the above is a portrait of our most beloved warrior, Mackentosh the First; the first Beyond the Shrub anyway. The above portrait was first painted…'

"1221?!" I screeched, wheeling around and almost knocked Amy upside the head with my right arm. Mackenzie looked sheepish as Amy and I studied the undeniable picture of Mackenzie when she was fourteen; long brown hair with a dyed strip of blond and blue eyes.

"I shall explain further after we get you settled in. You will find the rooms below what I have acquired through hard, almost unbearable labor, but they will suit your purposes," Mackenzie said, flinging open a door. Inside was definitely _not_ what I expected a palace to have. The floor was still stone, as were the walls, but on either end of the windowless room was two, feather-stuffed, four-poster beds. A little trunk lay at the end of each, and a boiler sat in the middle of the room, smoking slightly and giving off heat, making me sweat even more in my clothes. An oil lantern hung by each bed.

"These are ours?" I asked, hurrying over to one of the trunks and running a hand along the edge of a red one. "I claim this bed," I told Amy. She nodded and sat down on the edge. "So…I demand that you now sit down and explain this whooooooooole situation to me," I ordered, giving Mackenzie the all-knowing look no one could resist. Mackenzie sat down on my trunk, and Amy and I took seats on the floor in front of her.


	4. I'm so Glad We've Been Reunited

Disclaimer

**Katie:** You DO realize that this thing's becoming normal right?

**Mackentosh:** Yeah, I know. I mean, we are NOT created to run a comic strip!

**Amy:** Hi!

**Jakob:** Hey! I'm actually IN one of these things!

**Nich:** Yeah. Although to tell you the truth, it's not very exciting.

**Amy:** Hi!

**Author:** Look, it's not my fault, I-

**Katie:** Oh yeah. It's not the AUTHOR'S fault. The disclaimer just MAGICALLY appears there…

**Author:** I knew that you would understand! .

**Amy:** Hi!

**Mackentosh:** sighs and rolls eyes Author, hun, I think that she was being sarcastic.

**Author:** looks crestfallenOh…

**Amy:** Hi!

**Everyone:** SHUT UP!

**Amy:** BYE!

**Everyone:**

"Story time," Amy chirruped.

"Dangit, Amy! This isn't _'The Seeing Stone,"_ I snapped, thwacking Amy. "Continue, Mackenzie,"

"Ok. It all started sixty years ago-,"

"But wait! You were only gone for two weeks!"

"Shut up! I'm getting there! Let me explain then you can draw your own conclusions. _Anyway_, as I was saying…_two weeks ago_ or sixty years RPB time, I was running from the teachers. I ran past locker number 666 and I got sucked into this world. It was then that I was found under the shrub in the courtyard by a guard; a half-cheetah, half-human man. He was tall, and kinda good-lookin…,"

"Get goin' with the story already! I'm fryin'!" I snapped irritably.

"Oh, yeah, well, I was taken to the queen under pain of death, so I was quiet the whole time she questioned me. I was young and small, and disrespectful to her, so I was put into service; at first only as her maid, serving her every whim and what not. I worked very diligently for years, until I was twenty to be exact. By that time, I had grown in stature, and towered over the one I served. I was sized up and set armor, forced into the battles of the land. Only guard duty at first, and there were few enemies who could defeat my Queen back then. After about ten more years, a neighboring country, called Conal Kurach started to send enemy spies into our territory to check on our defensive plots and layouts of our weak points. It came to be such a heated debate that when Conal Kurach attacked, we were nearly wiped out. We managed to only just push them back. Nich, Hanna, Morgan, Sarah, and I, that is to say. We were the only ones who were not away from the castle when it was attacked. As you noticed, we are not a strong people. The braid is a symbol of the warrior. We are mutations created by Queen Goldberry. She believed that human-animal fusions would be more powerful than just plain humans. That is why there is little wildlife left. I got the portrait you pointed out because I was severely injured while protecting the Queen," Mackenzie pulled back the fur on her left hind leg and showed a large scar that wrapped almost completely around her leg joint. "Spear; hurt like everything, too. The others arrived years after I did, for different reasons, as they will explain to you, I am sure," she said. I smiled. It was just like her to put it that way. "Oh, you may want to change now," Mackenzie said, noticing the sweat tingling on my forehead.

"But, wait. Why did the queen call you _Mackentosh?_" Amy asked, not even trying to hide her snicker. Mackenzie groaned and said it was just a nickname, and that we had better get changed before dinner so that we could meet the rest of our long-lost friends and not stink like poo. Mackenzie shut the door behind her, and I immediately began digging through my trunk.

"What is this weird stuff?" I mumbled, digging through several low-cut, tight dresses with large, puffed spreads. I found one at the bottom which was a lilac in color with no sleeves. I also pulled out a white under-dress and slammed the trunk shut.

"Hey, Amy dare I wear my tennies to this fancy luncheon?" I chuckled. Amy gagged and I turned around to see if she'd found a dead cockroach in the bottom of her trunk.

Amy gagged and threw a dead 'roach at me while I was rolling around on the floor, laughing. I dodged it and Amy pulled out a midnight-blue dress like mine and a white shirt to put under it. "And yes, I shall follow your example and be as disrespectful as I can to _her highness," _Amy cackled.

As we began to get undressed, I heard something going on outside. I couldn't hear very well, but it sounded like there were several people bickering with Mackenzie who had apparently been playing guard for us.

"What's that, I wonder?" I asked Amy, as I pulled the white top over my head. Amy shrugged, and pulled her hat off. That's when the great door burst open and we were both covered in what felt like a giant avalanche of people: Hanna, Sarah, Morgan, and Nich, all of which seemed to be around twenty years of age, and all with long braids down their backs.

"&!$(!?!?!?!?!?" I bellowed from underneath Hanna. I pushed her off and dug Amy out.

They backed off when Amy and I, despite being several inches shorter than they, advanced menacingly upon them.

"Like, peace, dudes," Nich stuttered, backing against a wall, holding up two fingers.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!!!!" We bellowed, and together, we dumped the lot of them on the stoop out by the door and told Mackentosh to keep them in line while we changed.

"Well, that was one heck of a, howdy eh, Amy?" I asked chipperly

"Tell me about it," Amy groaned, doing the buttons up the front of her shirt. She did up my buttons in the back, and we headed out to the hallway where Sarah, Hanna/polar bear, Nich/monkey, and Morgan/lemur all sat with their backs against the wall with Mackenzie prowling in front of them like an over-sized bat. Amy mentioned this, and got hit.

"You look nice," Morgan told me, tickling my neck with her furry black-and-white tail. I cricked my neck and grabbed her tail. She yelped, and pulled it back. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"I can't believe you guys managed to find us here!" Hanna exclaimed, throwing an arm around Amy and me and pulling us close. I could feel her sinewy legs brush against my dress.

"Tell me about it! Did you know that we had to break into the school?" Amy said, hoping this would perk everyone's interest so she could tell our story before I did. I broke free of Hanna's hold and walked up to Mackenzie who was holding her spear still and leading the chattering group.

"So, you're taking us to the dining hall?" I asked, looking up at her.

"Yup," she said. "It's there," she pointed at two large red doors. "Please, use your manners. I brought you here, so I could be put to death if you do anything too reckless or stupid. And don't stare at the people you will see in there,"

I quickly looked down to make sure that my tennis shoes were well-hidden before stepping back into line with my friends.

"Hey, Nich, nice ponytail," I heard Amy said as she yanked on Nich's long braid. "Glad to see you were allowed to grow it out. War treats you all right?" asked.

"Yes, it did treat me rather well, and-don't-you-touch-me-either!" Nich snapped at the rest of us as we all poked and prodded Nich with interested fingers.

"Remember, you guys! Manners…!" Mackenzie whispered urgently to us under her breath.

The air around me was still cheerful as we entered the dining chamber. It was built surprisingly like the Great Hall in Hogwarts. My friends and I took a seat at on e of the emptiest long tables and began to chatter. Around the room were tons of humans of every skin color fused with tons of different kinds of animals. I tried my best not to stare, for Mackenzie's sake.

"Aren't you going to ask us how we got this way?" Sarah asked, suddenly losing her brisk gate-guard manner.

"No need to. Mackenzie explained to us how the queen fused ya'," Amy said, nodding smartly.

"Oh, dang, it's a very interesting tale, I'm telling you," Morgan said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh. Before dinner starts, let me brief you on how it goes," Mackenzie said hurriedly, leaning across the table to get to me.

I groaned.

Mackenzie rolled her eyes before continuing. "There will be three courses, as with most feasts you might have read about. Although, this might change since we have two guests of honor," she winked at me and Amy, who was also listening to her. "The first is a salad-type thing. It's going to be grass and other leafy plants served to each breed of fusion depending on their animal's mutual diet. You eat with, um…,"

"Your face," Hanna told us, a wide smile on her face. Clearly, she would enjoy seeing me and Amy struggle with the complications of the 1281 River Belle Path's eating methods. Evil, that's what she was, pure evil. I gulped nervously as Mackenzie continued.

"Yes. You eat it with your _mouth_ for lack of a proper word. Since you are full-humans, I think they might just feed you leaves…,"

"Or dirt. Katie'll eat anything!" Nich added sarcastically. I glared at him and pledged to get him back.

"The second course is the main course. It's got a more filling selection of plants, but this time, it's got different types of meat added to it. For carnivores, like-,"

"Hanna; the ferocious, man eating bear?" Amy asked, seriously, who was sitting next to Hanna.

Mackenzie continued like there had been no interruption. "There will be raw meats, live meats-,"

"LIVE?! LIKE, FREAKING CHICKENS IN CAGES?!" I asked fervently. Mackenzie nodded, and continued.

"You will find such familiar foods as that, but they will not be fried, obviously. They will be cooked, along with salted pork and beef. And others of which I hope to never find out about. The last course is dessert, predictably. It is berries and jams and bread, and a yogurt-like mush-,"

"Don't eat that. I think its pig guts," Morgan said without a smile. I took a mental note of this.

"Just pick and choose. Use your fingers, and try not to slurp. Drinks, only water-,"

"And blood. It's yummy!" Sarah chirped, smacking her lips as if she could taste it. She and Hanna nodded together. ICK!

"Those two are the only drinks you will be given. Don't spill anything. I fit falls under the floor, hope against hope that it sticks to your shoe until you get out of sight or into a large crowd. You'll be whipped for any messes. Ah, here's the queen!" Mackenzie announced. I wheeled around and saw the woman coming out of a side door behind a small table set on a dais. She took her stance in front of her chair, and raised her hands.

Everyone in the vicinity rose. I jumped up and looked at Goldberry expectantly. It was deathly-quiet.

"My honorable friends and warriors, tonight is a special night. We rejoice, for we have been blessed by the great goddess, Oprah,"

"Oprah?" I asked Nich, behind me, through clenched teeth.

"Just a coincidence," he said.

"And we have been sent two guests from Under the Shrub!" Queen Goldberry announced. The crowd erupted into applause, and I immediately felt awkward and wanted to shrink and become invisible.

"They are Kaitlyn D. M, and Amy L. A.!" the queen added, and swept toward me. I turned scarlet for the second time that night as she stood by Amy and me for a few seconds so everyone knew who were.

_'I swear, that woman has it in for me…,"_' I thought mutinously at her back as she headed back toward her chair. She sat and cried, "Let dinner be served!" Immediately, doors around the hall burst open and servants, Mexican-looking men and women fused with giant slugs, came forth bearing heavily-laden trays full of green leafy plants which were set on the tables. A man set a fork and knife in front of me and Amy. I thanked him, and he nodded to show that he understood, but he did not speak.

"Um…I think I'll wait until the meat course…Hehehe…," I trailed off, felling sick as I watched my old friends gobble up the green with their mouths as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. I pushed my plate away from me and waited for the second course, all the while, making small-talk with Amy.

"Oh, look! It's meat!" Amy chirped pointing around a waiter who had come to take the first course remains from in front of her. (Although nothing had been eaten.) I silently thanked God and got ready to dig in for second-helpings of everything, when I stopped. I got a closer look at the plates and mounds of food, and gagged.

"Something wrong?" Nich asked, looking at me with what looked like a half-plucked chicken in his hand. I felt bile rise up in my throat.

"N-Nothing, I…was just hoping it would be _cooked_ meat," I told him, forcing a smile. He chuckled something and went back to his meal. I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw Amy had passed a large linen napkin to me. I looked at her questioningly. She whispered that we could cook the meat we desired over the boiler in our room later. I nodded, and folded a small chicken in my napkin, which I then placed in the folds of my dress.

Soon after this, the dessert came out, and Amy and I ate through many a plate of berries before heading back up the corridors to our room.

"I thought you wanted to hear our stories!" Sarah snapped indignantly.

I groaned a huge, fake groan and rubbed my stomach, which was actually empty.

"She's got a tummy ache," Amy explained.

"But I didn't see her eat anything…," Morgan added, eyeing me as though she knew my secret.

"WHAT'S THAT?!!?!?!" I bellowed. When Sarah, Nich, Hanna, Amy, Morgan, and Mackenzie turned their heads to look in the direction to which I had pointed, I grabbed Amy's arm, and together we bolted up to our room, stifling laughter so's not to attract too _much_ attention. I locked the door behind me and leaned up against it, panting, but happy.

"Who would've thought this place would actually exist?" I asked Amy, walking over to the lantern hanging by my bed and lighting it. Amy had flopped down on her bed, and looked so comfortable, that I thought she was asleep. I smiled; content that nothing had gone wrong on our first day in River Belle Path. I knelt down by my trunk and unlatched the hooks, about to grab something that was thin that I could sleep in, when I heard a knock on the door.

I was instantly alert. I knew not much about this castle, but enough about the queen to know that she could have sent anyone to assassinate me at any given moment! I unlocked the door and opened it just a crack the size of my right eye. It was Mackenzie. I fully opened the door and warmly greeted her with a hug. But still, she looked grave. Maybe all old people did that here.

"What's the matter?" I asked in an undertone, careful not to wake Amy who was now snoring and drooling into her pillow.

"Please. Come with me…," Mackenzie said calmly. But I could tell immediately that, despite being apart for sixty years, something was troubling her deeply. I nodded and carefully shut the door behind me.

"Wait. Hang on. It's a little stuffy in this castle," I said. I went back into the room, stripped off the lilac dress part so I was only in my white under gown, and kicked off my tennis shoes. Ahh, bare feet felt strangely wonderful on stone. "OK, I'm ready," I announced, coming back out of the room.

"This way," Mackenzie said, leading me down the hall towards a door at the end. She opened this door and it ended up being lead out onto a balcony.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" I chirped, rushing over to the edge and looking down at the vast landscape before me. I could see mountains in the far distance covered by a hazy midnight mist, and rolling green hills rising up around the palace. We were in a valley. A little stream trickled out from somewhere behind the balcony and ran for as far as the eye could see. Every now and then, there were splotches of forests. The moon was just beginning to rise, and it cast a silvery light over the stream, which I could tell became a river the further you got.

"Yes. It is quite a sight, is it not?" Mackenzie sighed contentedly, and I could hear the tiredness come out of her. I stared at her as she leaned on the balcony next to me, and it was like seeing her in a whole new light. It was as if she had become the kid I only knew her to be. But in an instant, that dream was gone when she turned her lined face to me, looking grave. "Katie, I have a request from the queen…,"

"That shaggy, old, bone bag?" I asked sarcastically, making it obvious I held her at the bottom of my respect list. Mackenzie didn't even show the hint of a smile.

"Yes, from _Queen Goldberry._ And if you ever call her that to her face, I may have to fear for your life, as you will not be able to," she drew an exemplary slash across her throat with her hand. I smiled and laughed a little before Mack continued. "The request was made soon after she and you had met. As you may not know, this town-," she pointed down below her at the little lights that evidenced the small village she had meant, "survives only at the expense of River Belle Path's army. And the army was greatly diminished in the Last Battle we had on Fakler Mountain. Oh, Katie! I tried talking her out of it, but she just wouldn't listen--!!" Mackenzie broke down into small sobs, which startled me. I stood above her awkwardly, wondering what I should do.

"Mackenzie, you can tell me. I'm a big girl now," I told her, puffing out my chest and planting my hands on my hips. Mackenzie looked up at me, teary-eyed and sniffling.

"Oh, Katie, the queen's demand is a foolish one. It is likely that you may never come back alive!"

"Tell me what it is!" I demanded.

"She believes that the humans from Beyond the Shrub are incredibly powerful and may be able to go straight to Conal Kurach and defeat the king there! I told her it was foolish, and that we would not, but she didn't listen! I do not want to put you guys in any danger!" Mackenzie whined. I flinched.

"Wait a second…us?" I asked. Mackenzie straightened up.

"Yes, _us_, she is sending you, Amy, Me, Morgan, Nich, Hanna, and Sarah out in a caravan in six days! She is going to fit us all with the latest armor and weapons and everything, but I am afraid that I am the only capable warrior! Besides you and Amy, the others have not practiced much with their weapons," Mackenzie explained.

"But, their braids-,"

"Given to them because they are from Beyond the Shrub," Mackenzie said.

"I don't want to go to war!! IS THAT WOMAN NUTS?!" I cried, grabbing Mackenzie and shaking her. I felt an odd lump rise in my throat, '_War?'_

"It is the order of her majesty. Tomorrow you will be fit with armor and given weapons. I suggest getting a good night's sleep, for you training begins at the crack of dawn. For seven people, one caravan is hardly enough room, so, as a heads up, pack lightly; no dresses, and expect to sleep on hard ground. Good night," Mackenzie told me all this in a rush and disappeared back into the corridor beyond the door.

I fell to my knees on the other side, '_War? I don't want to die! I have so much to live for! I still owe the lunch lady money! If I die, will the debt go to my children? WAIT! I DON'T HAVE ANY CHILDREN!!!' _I thought worriedly. _'Wait. This is my chance! I can prove to everyone that I am not a weakling! I can build muscle and endurance! I will go to war!!!'_ That was my decision. I, Kaitlyn D. M, age 14, was going to war against the so-I've-been-told-is-fierce-and-horrible-Conal Kurach. Bring it on!


	5. This is Only the Beginning

Disclaimer

**Nich:** I thought that it was the fellowship of nine.

**Jakob:** You aren't supposed to think.

**Author:** Now Jake, that's not nice. You can't say that Nich's stupid.

**Katie:** Yeah, that's my job!

**Author:** -- #

**Amy:** I'm gonna five Sarah the Electric Poooke!

**Sarah:** NO, NOT THE ELECTRIC POKE!

**Katie:** What's-?

**Amy:** YES!

**Sarah:** N-

**Katie:** SARAH! I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION!!!!

**Amy and Sarah:** mutters ya didn't have to yell.

**Katie:** What IS the Electric Poke? Just a question.

**Amy:** It's when I take my two fingers and poke them really hard into the extremely ticklish Sarah's sides.

**Katie:** Oooooh…can I try?

**Sarah:** EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! runs away

**Author:** SARAH, GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE, I HAVE A FIC TO WRITE AND YOU'RE IN IT! chases after Sarah

**Katie:** Well, no use continuing the disclaimer with one star missing and the writer gone, so…here comes…What you've all been waiting for!

**Hanna:** To see Jakob do the Funky Toucan?!

**Katie:** Besides that.

**Amy:** ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

My mind was still buzzing with my decision when I got up the next morning. At first I freaked out a bit and thought I had been kidnapped. But after a couple of minutes of sticking around in my room, I remembered where I was at, and calmed down.

"Hm. I wonder what this is." I mumbled, walking over to two doors on the west-side of the room. I'd never noticed them before. Maybe it was a short cut to the dining hall! I got my hopes up, but the thoughts I had had were quickly diminished. It ended up being a medium-sized space cut into the wall, much like a closet. It was filled with a bunch of weird clothing.

"WTF?" I pulled out a piece of clothing from the top of one of the stacks and held it up to my chest. It was a white, long-sleeved shirt with three buttons, and a frill-thing going down between the chests. "What is this; the Three Musketeers?" I hastily put it back, and went over to wake Amy up, but she wasn't there. I shrugged. Maybe she went down to breakfast before me.

'_I wonder what time it is…'_ I wondered, seeing's how I normally got up around noon on Saturdays. I wandered around for a while, admiring the artwork and looking at bugs which creeped past me. I eventually got to the dining hall after asking only fifteen servants, which would end up being my all-time record. I walked in in my long undergown, forgetting that they were pj's and most likely an insult to the queen. _'Oh well.'_ I stood in the entrance looking over the heads of the people, trying to find my posse. I found them and hurried over.

"Why the heck are you in your pajamas?" Morgan asked, eyeing my get-up curiously.

"Because she is Undie Girl," Nich told Morgan seriously. I thwacked him with my fork.

"What is this disrespectful?" I asked, thinking I looked darn-good in what I had on.

"Uh-DUH!!" Sarah told me sarcastically as if she herself actually had to think about it.

"Nyah," I turned to Amy who was picking through the third course of breakfast, which was a different type of bread. I think she was testing pumpernickel. (It's nasty!!) "Did you see the closet full of clothes?" I asked her.

Amy gagged on her piece of toast and threw it down, pushing her plate away, pretending to be full. "Yeah. It's weird, neh?" She seemed so cheerful; I didn't know what to do. _'Did Mackenzie tell her about what was going to happen to us?' _ I decided to ignore the question, and let Amy be happy for however long she would be. I looked at Mackenzie questioningly.

"I did," she said bluntly. OK, so Amy knew as well. Way to cut to the chase, Mackenzie!

_'I'm gonna lose, like, fifty pounds if I eat this weird stuff!' _ I thought disgustedly, tossing aside random pieces of bread I decided to try. _'Maybe I should become a bread-phobic…' _ I jumped when a side door banged open.

"I assumed this was the last course? Does he have something cooked?" I asked Hanna hopefully, eyeing the scary looking man curiously. He was tall, dark-skinned, and fair. He had long black hair that fell down the side of his head. _'He's gorgeous!' _ I eyeballed the man until he came up to where I was sitting squishered between Amy and Nich. Other people, women, glowered at us. The man reached for something down in a leather bag by his side, and handed me a scroll before disappearing.

"Oh, yeah. He's real friendly, ain't he?" I joked, turning back around to face everyone. My friends all stared at me, their mouths hanging open. "What?!"

"That was Prince Goldberry!" Morgan exclaimed.

"Who?" Amy asked, snatching the scroll from me and reading it.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, trying to snatch it back.

"He's the most gorgeous man in all of River Belle Path! He's the prince of these lands!" Hanna sighed dreamily.

"OK, so he's a prince, ung, and he's-RAWR-gorgeous, but I feel as if I'm being left in the dark!" I grunted, tickling Amy mercilessly. She squealed and gave me the scroll back.

"He doesn't normally come out of the royal chambers. He's a recluse, and word is, if he doesn't shape up that he'll have to marry a servant. He's seventeen," Mackenzie explained. She looked like she could be more interested in football.

"Oooh, I hope it's me!" Morgan said wistfully, looking into the distance.

"But you're oooooold!" Amy pointed out. Morgan hit her.

"So, what? We're all old. Me and Amy are, like, the youngest ones here!" Morgan snapped irritably.

"So, what? Amy and I are just out of the running?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Everyone gawked at me, and then burst out laughing, even Amy.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" I asked angrily.

"YOU?! I don't think you will be able to attract a prince with that scrawny little…_body,_" Nich pointed out, shoving his hands at my body.

"What?! I am not scrawny! I am not weak! I'll show you guys when we go out on our mission…," I muttered darkly.

"Yeah, I _doubt_ it," Hanna smirked, and asked me what the message read. So distracted with what was going on, I had nearly squashed it flat against Nich's head. I unfurled the yellow parchment and read aloud; Friends from Beyond the Shrub, I pledge that you come to the armory at once. You need to begin your training for the mission to which I have assigned you. Your armor will be fitted first, so come in what you have on. I shall not wait all day. Queen Goldberry.

"WHAT?! CRAP! NOW WE'RE GONNA BE LATE!! MOVE EVERYBODY, MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!!" Mackenzie suddenly bellowed, grabbing me and Amy by the scruffs of our necks and throwing us toward the door. She did the same to the others, attracting many curious stares, and bunted us out onto the green lawn.

"Dude, what's your issue?!" Sarah asked indignantly as Mackenzie poked at the group ruthlessly with her fingers. She led us down the front steps and onto the lawn which was blindingly bright and lit up by the sun. I felt horribly self-conscious.

"It's very disrespectful to be late when the queen assigns you to an appointment. _You _guys," here she glared frighteningly at Sarah, Nich, Morgan, and Hanna, "should know that by now. You've lived here much longer than _these _ twits," here she jerked her head at me and Amy.

"Hey!" I cried indignantly. Everyone roared with laughter.

Mackenzie led us outside the castle perimeter and into town, where I began to feel even more horribly self-conscious. It was horribly rude to run around in your undies here as it was in my dimension. I attracted many stares, many of which were unwanted. Amy snickered as I tried desperately to hide behind her as were being shepherded along.

Despite already becoming Public Enemy Number One, I couldn't help but notice the bustling townsfolk around me. We were going along (at an incredible pace) on a cobble-stone street which was remarkably even and smooth. It surprised me. Maybe the town just wasn't as old as the palace or something. On either side of me, there were (was?) many colorful shops which attracted my attention, seeing are how I was greatly attracted to shiny things. I ogled the merchants in their baggy and new clothes as they called out different prices for their shops. I eyed, in particular, some pretty necklaces which were sparkling and dancing.

"Say, how does a girl earn money in this town? And what currency do you folks use anyway?" I asked Hanna. She stumbled slightly, and then looked down on me.

"Well, we here like to use what's called heroins. They're little gold, silver, and brass coins. Used like tens, fives, and ones," she explained. I nodded.

"Soo…what kinda currency do you folks use around here?" I asked again, being thick-minded as well. Hanna sighed and went over it again as we walked along winding roads and twists and down little steps and corners.

"This place is huge! My feet are killing me!" Amy moaned.

"Don't worry. We're here," Mackenzie consoled her, and pointed ahead about another fifty feet or so, to where there was a great, two-story building where steam was billowing out of a chimney on the roof. There was a low overhanging outside like an awning, and I could just make out flashes of brilliant orange light, which I assumed was flames, since this _was_ the blacksmith's shop. All around it was dry dirt-about three acres of this land surrounded the building. A fence border-lined it.

As we neared it, I could make out a line of swords lying in a rack outside a red curtain, which served as a doorway into the smoking chamber within.

"Hello? Mr. McCarthy?" Mackenzie called loudly over the continued banging of steel on metal from beyond the curtain. The sound stopped, and a big, burly black man with bulging muscles came out sweating, and smelling to high-heavens. He was fused with a gorilla's lower body. I didn't say anything though. Deodorant wasn't invented yet, after all. And this man scared me. Almost as much as Echo off of the television show, lost. Almost.

"Yes. McCarthy here. I assume you're the party I am to be making the armor and weapons for?" the man asked, scanning over our group with his dark, deeply-set eyes. I cowered when he looked at me. Mackenzie, however, was unintimidated.

"Yes. I would like you to get started immediately. This is a direct order from her majesty. You are to make armor for these two," Mackenzie pointed out me and Amy.

"Kinda _small_ don't you think?" McCarthy asked, jerking his thumb at me in particular.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BEAN WHO CAN ONLY BE EATEN WITH THE WORLD'S SMALLEST FORK?!?!?!" I bellowed angrily, firing up at once. But my outburst was immediately silenced by McCarthy and Mackenzie's glares.

"Meep!"

"Anyway, _as I was saying…_These two need armor, two swords, and two daggers will be required. The others here just need some weaponry practice and for their weapons to be sharpened," Mackenzie finished.

"Armor, 2 swords, 2 daggers, practice field, and sharpening of other materials. Okay," McCarthy said, counting out his job on his fingers.

"Um…Mackenzie?" Nich suddenly asked, sounding terribly fearful.

Mackenzie turned to him questioningly. "Yes?"

"We…um…forgot our weapons back at the palace…"

"WHAT?!" Mackenzie suddenly cried.

"I'M SORRY!!"

"GO GET THEM! RAWR! I WILL HELP YOU! I SHALL CHASE YOU ALL THREATENINGLY WITH MY OWN SWORD TO BUILD YOUR ENDURANCE! GO!!!" Mackenzie yelled, pulling out her dagger and chasing the others around into a circle. I began to crack up, along with Amy. We rolled around in the dirt, shaking with unrepressed mirth as we watched Big Mack chase our friends back up into town.

I nearly screamed when McCarthy grabbed me from behind and pulled me to my feet, Amy at my side.

"First things first," he said. "Armor. I need to measure out your lengths,"

"My _what?" _Amy asked, glaring at the man as if he were Michael Jackson back to his original color.

"That is to say I need to figure out how long your arms and legs are, along with your hips, waists, and breasts,"

"WTF?! YOU $&)!)#$)&&#$#)$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I bellowed angrily, crossing my arms protectively across my own chest. McCarthy sighed.

"Don't freak out on me, here…?"

"Kaitlyn. Her name is Kaitlyn, and mine is Amy," Amy said. I glowered at her.

"OK, Kaitlyn, I have an apprentice. She's a woman, and will do…_that area_,"

'_Oh, thank you Lord,'_ I thought.

"OK, then, let's do this thingy!" I chirped, suddenly happy and peppy again. McCarthy gestured for me and my friend to follow him into the house, which, as I had suspected, was almost unbearably hot. A large kiln reflected a dark-skinned woman standing in front of it, observing the melting of some metal.

It was dark and musty in here, with no windows. No air came in except for the door, and the chimney.

"Up this way," McCarthy barked, leading me up some stairs half-hidden in shadow. I followed him, and we came into the upper floor where, thankfully, there were actually, many windows and much fresh-air. Swords glittered around me.

"OK. You first," the big man said, pointing at me. I timidly walked forward while he rummaged around on a table for an old-fashioned tape measure, which he held in his right hand. "Stand spread-eagled," he told me. I obeyed, afraid that we could eat me. He then began using the tape. First, measuring my arm length, leg length, and distance around my waist, and hips, distance from elbow to wrist, and elbow to knee. All the while, making little ticks with a feather quill on a piece of parchment. He pushed me aside, and dragged Amy toward him and I got to see hoe he worked.

It was actually pretty cool…When it wasn't happening to me. He worked quickly and seemed to be a very bright man. He finished up the notes on Amy and went back down the stairs with us in tow. He gave the notes to his apprentice who nodded, and pulled the metal out of the burning kiln and placed in on a stone table. McCarthy then led us back outside. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.

"OK, it will take two days for all of the stuff your friend Mackenzie ordered, so for now, you will practice your sword skills with these," the black man said, walking over to the rack of swords I had noticed earlier. He scanned them, and then looked for the two lightest ones. "Here," he tossed me and Amy each a long-bladed, tarnished gold handled sword. I nearly dropped one when it was thrown at me, handle-first.

"WTF? This thing weighs a ton!" I snarled, struggling to life the sword up with just my right hand. I gripped instead with both hands, and found that it worked better. I lifted it high above my head, and held it up to the sunlight. Light shone off the blade.

"They are good practice blades none the less. Now, come on. I will show you your practice field, and you can begin your training. I will be watching from within my shop, working with Danielle so the making process can be speeded up. Don't kill each other. Save _some_ strength, I suggest. For I believe that Mackenzie will force upon you the same training methods she used on me and herself, many years ago," McCarthy warned, backing out of a large dirt portion menacingly. I could hear him laughing in the distance.

In the field were many thick and padded posts which had been hewn and hacked at. There was also a tall post with alternating limbs, and other training courses around us.

"We're dead, Katie. Dead," Amy muttered under her breath, eyeballing wide-eyed, everything around us. I nodded my agreement. But then I remembered my vow to myself, and gulped heavily. I gripped my sword in my hand and headed out toward one of the striking blocks.

"Well, we're not gonna get better by just standing around here doing nothing," I snapped bitterly. Amy followed me, and took the post next to the one I had.

"OK, now what, Miss Know-it-All?" Amy asked sarcastically.

I scowled. "Well, I'm gonna practice seeing if I can even make any mark in this damn thing," I told her, raising my blade above my head. I stepped back a bit, ran forward, and with a cry, swung sharply at the block. When I came in contact with it, I felt the shock shoot up my arms and I was paralyzed for a moment. Amy was laughing. I felt really PO'd.

"AMY!" I roared. "I-am-mad. And-I-am-pissed-off-and-mad!" I swung angrily at the horrid training tool with each word, covering them in venom. I felt the pain shoot up my arms each time, but it turned into a savage pleasure I found exhilarating. Before I knew it, I was covered in a double-coat of sweat. "Whew! Glad I got _that_ out of my system!" I chirped, slamming my sword deep into the dirt and flipping my hair over my head so I could put it in a ponytail. When I flipped back up, Amy was gawking at me.


	6. A Change in Training

**Disclaimer **

**Amy**: Momo? Psst, over here?

**Momo**: Hey, Pookies. What're you doing up here?

**Amy**: Trying to get your attention stealthily.

**Momo**: I love stealth!

**Amy**: Look, I'm worried about Kate. I was-

**Momo**: Shhhh. They might be listening.

**Amy**: Who?

**Momo**: THEM. Her readers. BE STEALTHY.

**Amy**: Um, Morgan, I don't think-

**Momo**: Uh-oh, Katie is getting restless! We'd better get back down there before she goes and gives the plot away.

**Amy**: What plot? What are you talking about?

**Momo**: Nothing to see here, nice readers. Not a thing. Tra la la. (Call me later, A.)

"You're a freak. You know that, don't you?" she asked, her mouth hanging open.

I nodded. "Yuppers. I know. But, _oh my god_, that felt soooooooo GOOD!" I exclaimed, stretching my arms above my head.

"OK, I'm gonna practice hard too!" Amy told me fiercely, looking at me with such determination in her eyes that I knew she would. Amy, once she had her mind on something, would never give it up until it was accomplished. I smiled fondly at my best friend, and pulled my sword out of the dirt.

"Heya! We're back!" Morgan announced, coming around the side of the building, her black-and-white bushy tail swishing merrily from side-to-side. Amy and I waved as the rest of the gang soon followed.

"What do you think of my mark?" I asked them smugly, jerking my thumb toward the padded wood. They crowded around it. I didn't need to turn around; I knew I would get good praise.

"You suck…!" Nich pointed out, smirking that weird smirk of his that made me want to wipe that weird smirk off his weird face once and for all.

"What?! But I went crazy on that thing! Ask Amy if you want!" I whined, pushing Hanna aside to get a closer examination of what I had done. They were right! I had made hardly a mark! There were about three ¼" deep cuts into the wood. Otherwise, the other hits were only mere scratches. Nothing compared to the other marks. "Dammit!"

"Haha. Well, you can't expect to be great in just thirty minutes, Katie," Mackenzie reprimanded me. I felt meek. I hung my head. Hanna patted my back.

"It's not just brute strength that lets you make deep wounds," Hanna pointed out.

"Yeah. Although I cannot deny that that stuff's important, it also depends on the angle of which you have into the thing you're hitting. Like this," Mackenzie said, unsheathing her blade from its sheath. Everyone stepped back about ten feet from the wood. Mackenzie backed up about twelve feet and held her sword inches from her face between her hands as if she were praying. She inhaled deeply, slid her hands to the handle, and barreled down upon the weak little padded wood object. "HIIIYAAAAH!!" she bellowed, taking her blade and swinging upward fiercely and quickly at an eighty degree angle. There was a loud 'WHACK!!' and a resounding 'THUMP' as a large part of the training tool fell under Makenzie's wrath. I applauded loudly along with everyone else. Mackenzie took the praise humbly, and bowed, then sheathed her weapon.

All of a sudden, I got his horrible feeling. Like something evil was approaching.

"ALL RIGHT! MY CHILDREN, TAKE UP THE SWORDS AND BEGIN YOUR TRAINING! UNTIL DUSK YOU WILL TRAIN AND EVERY MUSCLE IN YOUR BODY ACHES!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!" Mackenzie cackled.

I was amazed at the agility of one so old, like Mackenzie. She ran around chasing us (who were screaming) and gave a weapon to the weapon less ones. After this, she ran us back out into the field for thirty laps around the three acres. I screamed in protest but she had her sword out so I ran as hard, long, and fast as I could go. I completed my laps, and while she ran and tortured the others, I ran through the physical course with my practice-sword. It included a twenty feet hop on logs sticking out of the rapidly running River while hitting swinging bags of wood which would hit me and send me flying into the freezing water, which I did many times.

Then, after the hop, there were two rings I had to swing on over a large blank patch of water, then more hops, and I had to fight my way through harmless booby traps like getting hit by tomatoes if I triggered one.

I had to do that climbing pole thing which wasn't just a stupid climbing thing, as I found out the _hard_ way. I had to jump up and with one hand holding myself up about twenty feet off the ground, leap onto the top of the pole and fight a swinging wood monkey.

All in all. That day _SUCKED. _

"Owwww, my boooooooooooones…," I moaned, cradling my arms together. We had all begun the trip home, after saying good-bye to McCarthy and putting our swords up.

"Stop saying stupid stuff, it makes me want to hit you, and thinking hurts," Amy snapped.

"Ahahaha! I don't see what the problem could possible be! I feel wonderful! I haven't done that in _months!_" Mackenzie chuckled, whacking Nich and Hanna's backs with her calloused hands. They both fell face-forward into the dirt. Mackenzie chuckled and pulled them up, putting them over her shoulders.

"You're not human…Well, you know what I mean…," Morgan snarled venomously, spitting on Mackenzie's shoes. Mackenzie merely smiled and ruffled Morgan's hair.

"How do you get your energy, Mackenzie?" I asked mournfully, looking up at her as she flexed her muscles show-offishly. She smiled and told me that it was all about self-discipline, and being sent off into many battles.

"I'm the one who trained the prince in combat," she told us proudly.

"WHAT?! You taught the _prince_ about fighting?!" Hanna asked incredulously from her awkward position over Mackenzie's shoulder. "I knew the man was good but not _that_ good!"

"Yup. It was all _me,_" Mackenzie chirped as we entered the city limits. As we wound our way silently back the way we had come, I had an idea.

"Hey, Big Mac. You think Prince Charming would agree to come along on our little caravan trip?" I asked casually.

"HAHAHA! You've got to be stupid if you don't know already!" Sarah guffawed, holding her ribs.

"What? What don't I know?"

"The prince always goes on very mission!"

"REALLY?! SWEET!!" I cheered. Nich eyed me.

"You liiiike him, don't you?" he asked tauntingly. I blushed.

_"NO!"_ I snapped.

"Katie and Jakob sitting in a tree! F-U-,"

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICH!!" I roared, suddenly feeling full of vitality. I leapt at Nich and began to tussle with the man in the dirt as Mackenzie threw Hanna off her shoulder and fought her way to us. She wrenched us apart and held us gruffly.

"YES. Prince Charming is coming along with us. But _don't _get any weird ideas. Although the prince is a strong fighter-I trained him myself-we must all protect him without him realizing it, OK? Now, this is a happy time. We should all be _happy!"_ Mackenzie snarled threateningly in Nich's, and then my, ear.

"Hey, you! Miss there!" Mackenzie perked her ears and looked around for who had called out to her. There was a heavily ragged man in a corner sitting under a ragtag cloth held up on posts. His stand had many questionable shimmery objects in it.

"Want a protective amulet? Protect her pretty neck?" the man asked, rattling several chains in my direction. I felt revolted, and backed into my circle of friends who enveloped me in their arms.

"No. And say that again, I will rip out your intestines, and then shove them back down your throat," Mackenzie told the man. The man gulped and began to pack up his supplies. "Humph. Common beggars. You'll find them anywhere," Mackenzie scoffed, shepherding us back to the castle.

I'm sorry to say that I was very much glad that I was back inside the safe walls. With the old queen, unfortunately, but what worse havoc could she wreak other than sending me to war?

I collapsed lovingly onto my bed which suddenly felt remarkably like my water bed back home. I sighed contentedly and snuggled in the sheets. Before I knew it, I was being shaken awake by on of the creepy servant-women. She held a plate of steaming food in one hand, the other which continued shaking me out of my reverie. I sat up to show her I was awake and she placed the food on my bedside table.

"What time is it?" I asked Amy who was already digging heartily into her supper. Yesterday's practice session really took a tole on her appetite.

"Roughly around eight a.m. I'm guessing. Atleast, it is if I know a sundial any good," Amy said, something yellow dripping off her chin. I pulled back.

"Amy, what the heck are you eating?" I asked.

"It's all right! Its eggs and bacon! And toast!"

"SWEET!" I reached for the tray and put it on my lap and began to dig in. After breakfast, Amy and I decided to go look in the dining hall and see if we could find the others, but there was a note on the door. It was from Mackenzie.

_"OK, everybody. I have a little change in the training for you today. Meet me at the blacksmith shop at precisely _ _nine a.m.__ and I shall give you further instructions. Dress casually and in clothes you do not care to get dirty." _

I looked down at my white undergown which was spattered with mud and grass stains. Amy and I looked at our clothes together, and then we headed over to the closet to pull out something that wasn't low-cut.

I ended up getting a pair of baggy brown trousers, and a baby-blue, short-sleeved top. I buttoned it up, then rummaged under my bed before pulling out a pair of brown boots which I laced up before helping Amy pick an outfit out. She got some black pants with an orange top and some boots. I helped do her hair which I put in a high ponytail on top of her head, and she did my, putting it in a messy bun, seeing how I can't do them myself.

"Okie dokie. Let's go!" I said, heading out the door and grabbing Mackenzie's note. We headed down the sparkling green lawn and into town where there was the usual hustle and bustle a town would have. I noticed that together, Amy and I were drawing more glances than usual today.

"Did we get men's clothing?" Amy asked me n an undertone, looking at our get-up. I decided that was best and nodded, but didn't say anything further. People should just mind their own damn business. I held my head up high and plunged deep into the heart of the city.


	7. We're Being Followed

Katie: dizzily gets up and stumbles out of door Oooh…so Siiiick….

Geoff: quietly following behind to do the scene

Katie: still walking dizzily

Geoff: begins to wonder if she's really sober

Katie: gets to the courtyard where she's supposed to collapse Treeee….walks toward tree

Geoff: is impatient Katie! COLLAPSE ALREADY!!

Katie: hugs tree But I love it soo much! licks tree

Author: slaps self with script Idiot…

By them time we got to the blacksmith shop, the others were talking outside the shop and picking out swords.

"Sorry we're late! Amy can't read a sundial very well," I said scathingly, throwing Amy one of 'those looks.'

"S'kay. You made it with just a minute to spare," Morgan assured me, tossing me and Amy the same blades we had gotten yesterday.

"So, Mackenzie; Tell us. What kind of torture do you have planned for us today?" Hanna asked, poking Mackenzie's side. She pulled away, and drew a breath.

"Well, my fellow citizens of River Belle Path. The training today will only apply to Katie and Amy. It shall consist of a trip into the neighboring town of Jordan, where you will be tested with haggling skills," Mackenzie explained, tossing a leather pouch to me. I caught it and looked inside at the coins. I tried desperately to remember their names. "You will begin in two hours, and on horses. The total trip should take only about, ohh…four hours. Then you will return, saddle your horse in the stable and we will proceed from there," Mackenzie explained.

"Oh, that's gonna be easy!" Amy said scoffing the idea.

"You may find it harder than you think, though. So go around the building, and take your sword!" Mackenzie told us gravely, that old twinkling of mischievousness lighting behind her glassy eyes. I nodded and gripped my sword tighter. McCarthy gave me and Amy each a sheath, and tied them to our waists while he led us to the horse stables.

"These are the two gentlest ones," he said, pointing out two horses he called Moon Star and Fire Flower.

"Where are the saddles?" I asked, my voice quivering as McCarthy busied himself with checking the horse's hooves out. The horse named Moon Star was a bright white color with a white mane that flowed in a tangly mess down the right side of her majestic head. She had large black roving eyes that penetrated me and made me think she could read my mind. Fire Flower was a beautiful chestnut color with a deep red mane that had been braided.

"You ride bare-back. Mackenzie's orders," McCarthy said simply, pulling Moon Star and Fire Flower out of their stalls. They fidgeted, and stomped and kicked up dust in the musty barn. "Easy girl, easy…,"

"WHAT?!" Amy shrieked. I covered my ears.

"This…this is gonna be hell…," I moaned, following McCarthy out into the sun again.

"All right, got your money?" McCarthy asked me. I nodded and jingled the patch at my side. "Here. I'll help you up," he said, cupping his right hand near the ground, his left sill holding the reigns to keep Moon Star calm. I eyed first his hand, then the horse nervously. "C'mon!" he barked. I jumped and put my foot on his palm. McCarthy flung me into the air, and I landed promptly in the middle of the horse's back. She felt strong and sinewy beneath me. Moon Star felt as if she would rear, but she did not. She merely turned her head and stared into my eyes as if saying, 'WTF ARE YOU DOING ON MY BACK?!' I smiled shyly and patted her neck.

"Hold onto her mane and take her around the field once or twice to get used to the feel," McCarthy ordered after he had helped Amy up onto Fire Flower. Amy was already looking green.

"OK," I said, gently nudging the horse in the ribs. Moon Star, instead of going into an easy walk, suddenly bolted like lightening and began racing around the paddock. I screamed, near tears, and tried stopping her. My yells attracted my friends who came around the side of the building and watched from a safe distance while McCarthy chased the wild horse with me on it, on foot.

"WOAH! WOAH! STOP, HORSIE! STOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!!!!!" I bellowed angrily, intertwining my hands in her hair. All of a sudden, I was flung into the air. "EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! STUPID JACKASS OF A HORSIE!!!!!!!!" I cried. I landed in McCarthy's capable hands whom looked worn out.

"You really pissed her off, Kate," he told me, smiling. Moon Star pranced around, tossing her head and looking triumphant.

"Well, thank you for that one, Captain Obvious. Now, try and predict the color of the sky for me tomorrow. _And don't say blue, 'cause I know that,_" I snarled as he dropped me.

"That was wicked, Katie!!" Amy guffawed from on top of the calmer horse.

"Try again! Don't give up!" Hanna cried, stomping her feet encouragingly.

"Don't worry. I will _not_ give up," I told them. "Now, my good man, pray I tell you; bring me a blanket I can place under Moon Star's back,"

McCarthy came back with a striped blanket which he handed to me.

"C'mere little horsie, horsie, horsie…," I chirped, waving the blanket in Moon Star's face. The horse turned and faced me, sticking her butt in the air and sort of bowing to me. I glared at her and bared my teeth, shaking the blanket. I got about three paces from her. I circled around her, and then leapt. She darted and I got nothing but a face full of dirt.

"Damn you!" I snarled, jumping up again to roaring applause. _'Wait. Since this horse can read my mind…'_ I thought. Then 'DING' a thought came into my head. I turned away from the horse and marched away, sticking the blanket around my shoulders.

"_Fine_ then. I _don't_ want to ride you anyway!" I snorted. I gathered my non-plussed looking friends and frog-marched them away. When McCarthy made to get Moon Star and put her back in the stable, she side-stepped him, cocking her head at me.

"You're too _tame _for me, anyway!" I said loud enough for her to hear.

"WHAT? But she kicked your butt!" Nich pointed out. I stomped on his foot. It was after this, that I felt a nibble on my sleeve. I turned around, and Moon Star was looking down at me with a stupid expression on her face.

"Well, I'll be darned," McCarthy chuckled as I rubbed the horse's face tenderly.

"She must be stupider than Katie," Morgan whispered, and everyone nodded their agreement; Even Fire Flower.

I placed the blanket on Moon Star's back and lead her to the fence. I hopped on her back using the fence and walked her primly around the ring. She was gentle as a dove for me after that.

"See? I _told_ you I could do it!" I said scathingly.

After an Argument, Amy and I are on our way

"See here, Katie," Mackenzie said, taking a stick and smoothing out some dirt. She drew some trees and the River. A ways above this, she drew a house. "You will travel through the Gratnoshk Forest, follow the River for sixty miles, then go into the city of Jordan. You are to use your money to buy a basket of bread, some fish, and a tub of goat butter, and bring it back here within the time limit. Try to save as much money as you can," Mackenzie straightened up. I stared at her crude map, taking in the details of what she had said.

"OK, leave it to me and Amy. We can get the job done!" I said, clenching my fist.

"Here're your saddlebags so you can bring back your stuffs," Hanna said, fastening two leather bags to the rear of where I was perched on Moon Star.

"See you in four hours!" Mackenzie called as Amy and I started on our journey. I waved merrily and turned around.

"So, Katie; This is going to be fun, isn't it?" Amy asked me excitedly. I nodded.

"This is almost too easy of a mission. I wonder why she's making us even bother? I mean, she can get the things at the palace, easy, right?" I said tentatively as we entered the near-darkness of the forest.

"Huh. Now that you mention it…I agree with you. But we'd better do it anyway. Who knows what kind of torture-methods Mackenzie learned over the years?" when Amy said this, I cringed, and we laughed together.

For most of the time, there was an awkward silence in the air. I didn't know what to say, and yet, every time I attempted conversation, my throat fell to the wind; except there was no wind. As far as the eye could see, there were only trees, trees, trees. The air was thick, and it was humid. The hairs on my neck stood on end.

"Amy, I think…we're being watched…," I whispered, bringing my horse closer to my friend. Amy nodded and we proceeded with caution, treading lightly upon the leaves, trying not to make a sound, but listening desperately for any noise. I was ready to grab my sword at any given moment.

Then, from right above me, there was a breaking of branches and sunlight streamed down. I jumped off my horse, landing beside Amy, and pulled out my sword. It was heavy still, and my arms protested the holding of it from my training yesterday. But I held it on my shoulder and tried to look intimidating as four men surrounded Amy and I. I got an OK look at them when the blinding white of the sun faded from my eyes.


	8. I Think I Killed a Man!

Disclaimer

**Katie:** Bandits? What the hell do you mean, bandits?!

**Amy:** Dear God no! I just escaped Mackentosh!!

**Momo: **THE HORROR!

**Geoff:** C'mon! Mackenzie ain't that bad.

**All:** backs away slowly

**Geoff:** --; ; ;

**Author:** Anyways, at the end of this chapter there'll be another cliffie, just to keep you on your toes! .

**Jakob:** Hey! I'm in a disclaimer! All right!

**Amy:** It's not that exciting.

**Jakob:** Not to you, but hell. You've been in them since the beginning.

**Katie: **GASP

**Hanna:** Lori cursed!

**Everyone but Jakob:** THE HORROR!

**Jakob:**

**Author:** --# # # you're giving me a headache…

**Katie, Momo, Amy, Hanna:** Live with it!

**Author:** Small voice ya'll are meeeaaan…

**Katie**: And PROUD of it! .

**Everyone Else:** nods

**Author:** throws up hands Good grief. Here's the fic…

There was one who was tall and lanky with dark brown hair that was tied in a ponytail. He wore light red armor. The other three were short, but were sturdily built and had bright blue eyes. They were handsome too, but I took no notice, thinking they were enemies, and that I would have to fight them to keep me and my friend safe.

"Well, well, well, Fellas. Looks to me like we got ourselves a couple of good lookin' ones this time," the tall one said, eyeing me greedily. I was revolted.

"Tell me about it. I like the blonde. She cute," one of the others said.

I spat at the feet of the one with the ponytail. "Scum! Stay away from us!" I snarled, baring my teeth angrily.

"Yeah!" Amy added. "We did you no harm, so be gone!" Amy threatened, brandishing her blade. The bandits scoffed.

"My name's Geoffrey," the guy with the ponytail said. "That's Fa, that's Gi, and the other's It," he said, jerking his head mockingly at his companions. I snickered.

"What's so funny?!" Gi asked angrily, stepping toward me. My grip tightened on my blade.

"Stay back!" I snarled, not answering him.

"Ah, ah, ah! We haven't had women in a while…," Fah said, glancing at Geoffrey. He smirked and stepped toward me and my companion. He got a bit too close to Amy and I slashed at him. He just managed to dodge my attack with a cut sleeve.

"I _told_ you to stay _away from us," _I snarled.

"All right! That's it, you wretch! Boys, show these _girls _what happens when they mess with us!" It cried, launching himself towards me.

"OH CRAP!!" I cried. "Amy, let's go! The Cha-Cha _Slide!_" I ordered. Amy and I each got about a foot apart and began our fancy footwork.

"This is the Cha-Cha Slide everybody. I want alla ya'll to participate now," Amy said. "Let's do it!"

"Clap your hands now!" I came head-long into Fah's assault. Our swords crashed against each other's, sending sparks dancing into the sky. "Oh, c'mon ya'll, clap it up!" I chirped, forcing him back and clapping in time to the music I remembered. Amy was behind me and following my lead. The guys eyed us strangely, but it did not stop their attack. They came on again for a second try.

"To the right!" Amy said, and we changed places, locking swords with It and Gi. "To the left!" Together, we swung our blades to the left, ending the lock and righted ourselves after a rotation. "Take it back!" We hurried away from the trio, which looked infuriated at us.

"One hop!" I said, and we hopped at our foes, causing them to jump back. We laughed.

"Left foot, let's stomp," We took a giant leap at them and engaged in quick swords-fighting with them. They were strong but with our teamwork, and the power of M.C. Hammer, I knew we would win.

"Cha-cha now ya'll," As I performed the cha-cha slide, I'd decided enough was enough. "OK, Amy, NOW!" I roared, my eyes blazing with flames. We barreled down upon the bandits crying aloud.

Our sudden outburst scared the daylights out of Fah, Gi, and It, but from behind us, a strong pair of arms kneed us both in the gut and we fell unconscious. We had failed our first mission. All blackness fell around me and I collapsed into the grass and leaves. The last thing I heard was the sound of Fire Flower and Moon Star neighing and running off.

"So, what're we gonna do with 'em boss?" a voice asked.

"We keep them hostage and see if River Belle Path wants their crummy warriors back. At least we'll have something to report to the boss back home…," another voice replied.

"Uuungh…," I groaned, and opened my eyes. I could hardly see around the room I was enclosed in. My ribs were desperately sore. I felt around me, trying to find out my surroundings. As my eyes grew adjusted to the darkness, I realized I was in a dungeon sort of room, only the ground was made of…some sort of smooth wood. And the bars were…well, wood also.

_'What kinda prison is this?' _I wondered, gripping the bars which were covered by something I could not identify. Upon further investigation, I found chains connected to the boards. I felt along them, realizing something smooth and hard was in them.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! BONES! BONES! BONES!!" I shrieked, backing away from the remains. All of a sudden, a curtain was drawn from an area to my left and Geoffrey came in, looking smug.

"Well, at least you're awake now," he said, looking down on me with his cold eyes.

I glared silently at him. "So you work for Conal Kurach?" I asked scathingly. The guy nodded indifferently and moved along out of my sight, but in the same room. I heard him unlock something and walk into a nearby room. "Ahh, you will do," I heard.

"NO! LET GO OF ME, YOU PERVERT!!"

"Amy?!!?!?!" I cried, racing over to the front of my cage and pressing my face hard against them. Soon, Geoffrey came into view, gripping Amy by the scruff of her neck and dragging her back the way he had come.

"WAIT! AMY! WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING TO HER?!" I cried angrily.

"Katie! Help me! PLEASE!" Amy whimpered as Geoffrey stopped in his tracks. His back was still facing me though, and that ticked me off. He didn't have nerve enough to face me.

"I am taking this woman with _me,_" He said coldly, shaking Amy hard so that she cried out again. "If you've got a problem with that, you can answer to **_me_**," after this, he left.

"Amy!!!! AAAAAMYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I bellowed. Amy's screams faded after a while, and I began to sweat. Panic flooded me. I sat in a corner for what seemed like eternity, trying to hatch a plan, but nothing came to me. It was then that I realized I was sitting next to the remains of an unfortunate captive. Something clicked. I put my face close to the chains and examined them. An easy lock.

"Ha," I pulled a bobby pin out of my hair and put it into the lock. I twisted it and prodded until it clicked open. The bones clattered into my lap and I turned green. "I am so sorry," I whispered quickly, and said a quick prayer. I used my pin to unscrew the screws holding the body of the chains to the wall. After this, I wrapped the chains three times around the far left side of the wood bars. "Let's hope this works," I mumbled. I gripped the chains hard and pulled with all my strength, pushing off against the wall.

My arms felt like they were coming out of their sockets, but no sign of wear appeared on the bars.

_'Dammit! I can't just abandon my best friend!'_ I snarled, unwinding the chains. They clattered noisily to the floor. I rewound them and began to pull hard with first my left, then my right hand. There was the burning smell of wood as I worked hard and fast, beads of sweat dripping into the floor. I looked closely at the bars. There was a significant dent in them. I worked a couple of more times.

"OK, Door…you're goin' down…!" I told myself, and ran at the weakened part of the door with my left shoulder. I rammed it, and the wood split. I crashed to the floor with a loud noise. "Crap. They're bound to have heard that…" I muttered, jumping up and reaching for the sword at my hip. "Where's my sword?!" I gasped, and looked around the room. It wasn't there. "Guess I'll have to improvise…," I told myself. I grabbed the chains and peeked out of the curtain-door thing. What was out there surprised me.

It was like a huge network of tree houses connected by wires. It would have been a lovely site if it had not been my prison and I was not on a different, more important mission. All was quiet up in the forest-city. There were only ten houses up here, so I assumed, it was just the four of my captors living alone up here. Which was good. There would be fewer opportunities for me to be spotted.

"Where _are _you, Amy?" I mumbled, shielding my eyes with a hand. I heard strange noises coming from the far house and decided to start making my way toward it. Maybe I would find my sword along the way. I looked down and nearly cried out. I was about a hundred feet off the ground. "OK, Kate. Do this for Amy. _Amy_," I told myself. I flung the chain twice over the nearest cord and gripped it tightly in both of my sweaty palms. '_Just do it!'_ I swallowed my fear and jumped.

The feeling was exhilarating. I was flying along quickly along the cord, my hair dancing wildly behind me, having come loose of its ponytail. I nearly whooped with the awesome feeling. I landed gracefully on the next wooden platform and peeked into the building. It was something like a kitchen out of wood. There was a table and cabinets and chairs. No sign of the blades. I moved on, searching the houses, careful to check each house for one of the troublesome four. They were in none of the nine houses I had gone along.

"That means they're in that one," I said, staring ahead at the last building which was the largest. "Oh, I swear, Amy…If they do anything to you…," I began zooming along the cord, gulping down the amount of fear I felt. When I landed on the balcony part of the hut, I heard noises coming from inside it.

"C'mon, Pretty, dance for Papa,"

"I am sorry sir, but I am disinclined to acquiest your request," Amy replied saucily. I couldn't help but smile at the Pirates of the Caribbean reference.

"But, Babe…yer hot!"

"Stay away from me, Leech!"

"Aww, c'mon! Just a little peak…!"

"The lady said _no!!" _I cried, jumping out from my hiding position. There were the four men standing up, looking weird with their hair messed up and red hand prints all over their faces. Amy lay bound by her feet on the bed in front of them. "You _lechers!" _ I snarled. "You're drunk!"

"Wuzza matter widda liddle boozie woozies every nod an den?" Gi asked through a thick slurring accent.

"You're despicable…!" I spat, snapping the chains in front of me. "Now, back away from my friend,"

Geoffrey advanced upon me. "And what're you gonna do about it if we _don't_ little girl?" He asked. I noticed his eyes were crossed.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SOMEONE WHO DRINKS LESS THAN THE DAILY RECOMMENDATION OF MILK?!?!" I cried, jumping up. Geoffrey stumbled backward toward Amy who kicked with all her might as he toppled. He got righted and stumbled towards me. I jumped out of the way as he fell, spread-eagled, out the door way.

"BOSS!!" Fah cried.


	9. He Left it All for Us

Disclaimer

**Momo:** standing alone in the middle of the room, Where is everybody?

**Random Dude Who Appeared Out Of Nowhere:** Not here apparently.

**Momo:** whacks Dude over the head with a board that magically appears, Creep.

**Katie:** appears out of nowhere, Hi! Didja miss me?

**Momo:** I miss the silence.

**Katie:** --

**Amy:** also appears out of nowhere, Damn. Why does KATIE have to be here?

**Nich:** also appears oughta nowhere, I dunno. That's life I guess.

**Author:** I love Taty!

**Katie:** I KNOW! They are THE BEST! "BOY CRAZY" RULES!!

**Katie and Author:** cheerleaders, Goooo Taty!

**Nich:** O.O

**Momo:** My thoughts exactly.

**Amy:** blinkblink

**Sarah:** Thank God. It's boring backstage.

**Nich:** You go away! You're not in this chapter! broom appears in Nich's hands, Yaaaaah! whacks Sarah over the head with broom until she runs away.

**Everyone:** o.o ; ; ;

**Author:** . ; ; ; Well, now that that's over with, I guess the disclaimer's done! Now Nich, come over here so Katie can force you to do the Funky Toucan!

**Nich:** You'll never get me alive! NEVEEEERRRR!

**Katie:** Well then, we'll shoot you down, tie fishing wire to your arms and legs, and force your lifeless body to do the Funky Toucan! .

I ran to the ledge to see if I could see the guy's body lying crumpled at the base of this enormous tree. I saw his hand curled around the edge of the balcony. That was something I did not expect. My instincts suddenly took over.

"Grab my hand!" I told Geoffrey, flinging myself onto my stomach and thrusting my hand toward him. He opened his eyes wide.

"How can I ask you to forgive? I have shed blood, and the cost still weighs heavily upon my heart. I deserve to die…," Geoffrey mumbled, turning away from me.

"_Don't say that! _Every life has a purpose, and whether good or bad, it doesn't matter! You're still young, Man! Be strong! What is gone is forever lost! Now all you can do is live!!" I told him. I forgot all hatred toward this man. He was older than me by three or four years, he'd almost raped my friend, and yet I could not just abandon him. It would have haunted me for the rest of my days.

Geoffrey looked up at me, his eyes streaming with tears. They begged for forgiveness. I could tell. He strained his hand up for mine, but it slipped away. My palms were sweaty from wiping my forehead and what not.

"Help me!" I barked at the three men behind me. They looked startled at being addressed by a girl they had captured, but they listened to me. They rushed over and helped me pull up the leader of the bandits.

"I…do-don't know how I can eve-r-r thank you…," Geoffrey said, panting heavily beside me on his hands and knees. I was sweating. Adrenaline pumped through my veins.

"Why don't you ask him for a kiss, you freak?!" Amy taunted from the bed, frowning.

"Ah! NO! I couldn't _possibly--!" _I stuttered, turning scarlet.

"Ah, but that would be no problem at all," Geoffrey said, putting a strand of hair behind his ear. He reached out for me and pulled me to him. He kissed my forehead and I felt tingles all over.

"WTF?!?!?!?!!?!?!????!!?!??!?!?!" Amy gasped.

I just sat there, mouth agape, a blank expression on my face.

"So. Let's let bygones be bygones, eh?" Geoffrey asked, thrusting his hand out to me. I smiled sheepishly, showing my braces, and shook his hand.

"All right," I told him. _'Wait. I'm going to war, though! This is no time for mushy stuff!'_ I thought, slapping myself on the forehead. "Just don't think I'm a puny Damsel in Distress. I got _mad_ foo-skillz!" I said, going into the crane stance. The bandits laughed and assured me they thought me nothing less than a freak. I took this as a compliment, and went and untied Amy who seemed ticked that I had been kissed by a man who had almost raped her.

"You're even crazier than I thought…!" she hissed at me.

"I know…but he's so cute!" I sighed dreamily.

"I'm not talking about _him!_" Amy snapped irritably. When it seemed impossible she would get anything sensible out of me, she gave up and let me speak to the guys.

"Hey. We need our weapons back. We're in the middle of training," I said, thrusting my hand out. Fah giggled and gave me and Amy our weapons back from where they had been placed surruptisciously underneath the bed.

"I appreciate this _Faggot_ and _Geo-Fairy," _Amy said mockingly, tying her sword back into its original position on her hip."Now. If you would be so kind as to show us the way down,"

"Sure. Follow me," Geoffrey said, smirking and stepping out onto the porch. He pointed back at the first hut way back and showed me a ladder we could use to climb down. "By the way, I never really caught your names…,"

"Mine's Suck Failure Motha F-" Amy began, but I covered her mouth and stated my name.

"It's Kaitlyn. Or you can call me Katie for short," I said, smiling. "And that's Amy,"

"She's sure got spunk," It said, smiling fondly at Amy. She flipped him off and snatched the chains out of my hand and used them to swing to the ladder.

"Oh, great! How am I supposed to get down now?!" I asked, groaning when I realized Amy had the chains.

"Well…there _is _another way, but I doubt you would like it. It involves touching," Geoffrey said, waving his hands in my face. I slapped them away.

"I _told_ you not to treat me like a Damsel in Distress. Now just get it over with," I sighed and closed my eyes, holding my hands out. This drew glances from the older guys.

"Um, it's just a lift…," Fah said, unlatching a large vine with a loop on the end from the side of the hut.

"Oh, OK, then," I said chipperly, reaching out for the vine with my hands.

"Um, it's harder than you think…," Gi warned as I looped my foot in the circle.

"Oh, please. I've seen the movie _Tarzan_ dozens of times! It can't be that hard!" I scoffed at the idea of one of the guys lowering me on a vine to the ground. "I can even let myself down! Just you watch!" I kicked off the porch and swung out into the open. "See? What'd I tell ya?"

"Katie! Watch out for that—ohh!!" It cringed when I crashed head-long into the hut on my swing-around.

"Okee…myabbee that wuz _George of the Jungle…_," I mumbled, falling backwards into a dizzy spiral. Geoffrey grabbed my shoulders and held me up while keeping hold of the vine.

"Lower us!" He ordered at Fah, Gi, and It. Then he turned to me. I had a large red mark on my face. "Look, Katie. I owe you my life, and it's worth more than my life to make sure you're safe," he said, smiling at me. "You sure are stupid."

When we touched the ground I felt woozy, and Geoff let me go. I stumbled and got righted. Amy ran over to us.

"Glad to see you're OK, Kate," Amy told me happily, patting my back. She looked at Geoffrey. "You're an OK kinda guy,"

"Thank you. And you are a girl equal to the wild, craziness of Katie here," Geoffrey replied, bowing to Amy.

"You know, being a brown-noser is almost as bad as being a spineless little jellyfish," Amy pointed out.

"I am unfamiliar with the term," Geoffrey said, looking confused.

"HA! I win!" Amy said triumphantly, clenching her fists.

"Haha! Hahahaha!!" I was suddenly overcome with the giggles, that I fell to the ground, rolling and shaking.

"Katie? You okies?" Amy asked nervously, bending down beside me as I continued to shake. Geoffrey stood, staring at me weirdly. His minions suddenly appeared and stared at me as well.

"Haha! It's just…hahahahaha...you guys are so funny!!" I cackled, wiping a tear from my eye and jumping up. "It's okay now. I'm fine," I assured the others.

"Hmph. I hardly know the dude," Amy scoffed.

"And yet you already refer to him as _dude_," I pointed out.

Amy flushed and turned to Fah.

"Which way is Jordan?"

Geoffrey turned to me. "Say, like I said, I owe you my life, and I was hoping you would swear me into your service," he stood on one knee, looking like he was proposing.

"I-uhh…..duuuuuuuuuuh?" I said, cocking a confused smile. "Amy? Can I speak to you?" I grabbed Amy and dragged her behind a tree and started a debate with her.

"Geoffrey wants to be my attendant!"

"Katie, he's a _bandit!_"

"But I saved his life!"

"He almost raped me!"

"But he's cute!" I pleaded, putting on a puppy-dog face.

"ARGH! Why is it I can never say no to you? But I am putting my foot down. None of those other guys can come. There are too many people in this story as it is, and it can only get worse and more complicated," Amy sighed.

"What's that have to do with anything?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at Amy's last statement. She shrugged it off and we emerged from around the side of the tree.

"OKIES! It's been decided, Geoffrey, you're coming with us!" I announced. Geoffrey nodded and shook his head at his companions. They slunk away back toward the commute of tree huts.

"What's up with the fag trio?" Amy asked.

"They can't come. Somebody has to guard our little houses," Geoffrey explained. We all nodded. "So. You wanted to know where Jordan was?"

Amy and I nodded.

"Well, it's about ten miles north of here. Why d'ya needs to get there?" he asked.

"Training mission. We need a loaf of bread, a thing of butter, and some fish. We are to retrieve these things and return to our starting point within four hours," I explained. Then my eyes widened and I let out a huge sigh. "OH NO!!!"

"What is it?" Geoffrey asked.

"Our mission! We were supposed to complete it within four hours! And that was with our horses!" I felt like I could kick myself, but Amy took care of that. I gasped in pain.

"Oh. That's no problem. Here, check _this_ out," Geoffrey said, leaning casually against a tree. He pursed his lips and cupped his hands around his mouth. He blew out hard. It sounded remarkably like a horse's whinny. Then, from on the horizon, emerged Moon Star and Fire Flower.

"That was amazing!" I cheered, clapping my hands together. "You are so cool!" without thinking I hugged Geoffrey and ran off to the horses which were heading towards us at the same time. Amy knocked Geoff's elbow that was leaning against the tree and he fell.

"C'mon, Lover Boy. You're sworn to service, right? Then hurry up!" Amy barked, heading after me.

I hugged Moon Star. "Hey, buddy!" I sighed and buried my face into the horse's mane. I found a tall rock and used it to hop onto her back. I waited around for Amy and our new-found friend, Geoff who looked suspiciously dirty.

"Hey, Genius!" Amy said.

"Yaaaaaaaaay-us?" I asked, answering quickly.

"There's a brain working up there I hope, because where is Geoff supposed to ride?" Amy said. Geoffrey looked non-plussed.

"Get up here, with me, Geoff," I said holding my hand out for the guy to grab for a second time. He took my hand, and I hefted him onto Moon Star behind me. The horse stomped and protested at the extra weight, but I calmed her down with a few words and we were off, bouncing along the road after we had gotten some instructions from Geoff.

"Um…Shouldn't I be the one in the front?" he asked me after a few minutes silence.

I sighed. "You're much too macho fro your own good, Geoffrey. Please, just deal with it!" I snapped. "I am _not_ a little girl like you might be used to,"

Geoff smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. I blushed, but ran on.

"Hey, look, Katie! It's the end of the forest!" Amy declared, pointing ahead the path at a patch of light. I whooped.

"HECK YES!!" I cried, and nudged Moon Star into going faster.

"Watch out for that log!" Geoff cried, pointing ahead of me. There was a log about two feet tall lying across the path in front of my horse. I gave him an evil grin and I made Moon Star go faster. "WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" We leapt over the log with Amy and Fire Flower in perfect unison. I slowed Moon Star to a walk and we took the rest of the way out easily.

"See? It wasn't that bad!" I chuckled, patting Geoff's thigh with my left hand.

"Wasn't that bad? WASN'T THAT BAD!! Woman, you are freaking crazy!" Geoff snarled, whacking my hand. I smirked and told him I understood.

"Doesn't fresh air taste amazing?" Amy asked as we came into bright sunshine again.

"Ahh, yes! Who knows how long we were in that cramped forest?" I said, stretching.

"Look, there's the River you're gonna follow," Geoff pointed to the right of me where the River Belle River was running merrily over little stones and branches from stray trees which dragged in the water.

"OK!" I announced, bringing my mount to a halt. Amy brought her horse around to face me. "Who's hot and sweaty?" I asked.

Amy and I raised our hands.

"You're not hot and sweaty?" Amy asked Geoff incredulously. He shook his head.

"OK, then. You keep watch. We're taking a dip," I said, pointing to Amy and I, and then the river.

"You're gonna take a bath in the river?!" Geoff asked.

"Yup," I said. Amy nodded.

"Now, keep watch and tell us if there's anyone coming that looks remotely threatening," Amy said. Geoff nodded and stood up and tried to look menacing.

"C'mon, Amsters," I said.

We hurried to the river's edge and took our boots off, feeling the cold water run over our feet. It was so refreshing.

"Perfect," I sighed and pulled my boots and socks off. We searched further downstream for a deep spot, and when we found one, there was a conveniently placed tree. Amy and I climbed the tree and jumped off, landing in the water fully-clothed with cried of 'cannonball!!'

Geoff hit the ground at our cry, thinking there was an actual cannonball. When there was no loud crash of the ball of metal, he raised his head out of his arms. He saw Amy and me treading water and laughing our heads off at his reaction.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, EH?!" he snarled, storming over.

"AHAHAHAHA!!"

"ANSWER ME, YOU WRETCH!"

"BWAHAHAHA!!"

"OH, FINE, YOU ASKED FOR IT!!"

"WAHAHA…HUH?!?!!?" I stopped laughing and looked at Geoff who was undoing his shoes ans took his shirt off. He ran and dove into the water with little splash.

"Katie, did he drown?" Amy asked nervously when Geoff didn't reappear after a minute or two. Then, something grabbed Amy and dragged her underwater. I don't think it was human.


	10. All is Not as it Seems

**Katie**: Okies! Today we have a very special reviewer-guest! His name is shiningriku!

**Sr**: walks in to applause

**Amy**: Hmph. What's so special about him?! slightly jealous

**Hanna**: Oh, stop hatin'. He writes great Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles stories.

**Sr**: 'Tis true! Don't be a writa' hata'! crosses arms, gangster-like.

**Amy**: throws a rock at his head.

**Sr:** x.X

**Hanna**: Now that was just rude! Fanning sr

**Katie**: giggles. Well, crappy disclaimer, but I needed to update! Read sr's FFCC story or Amy will be forced to throw one of those expensive pieces of $ht called "rocks at your head!!

"AMY!!!" I cried, looking around me for a sign of her. There was nothing. I swam over onto the bank and began to sob. "WAAAH! MY FRIENDS GOT EATEN!!" I sniffled. Then, Geoff popped up by the bank with Amy under his arm and smiling triumphantly.

"Who's the king of pranks now, _Kaitlyn?" _ He asked smugly.

I grabbed Geoff's shirt and dragged him and Amy out of the water in one fell swoop. With my other hand, I socked Geoffrey as hard as I could. He flew back and hit the tree.

"Don't screw with me, Beeyatch!" I snarled, standing in front of Geoff whose lip was bleeding. He limped away from me.

"Sometimes, I think she's the strongest of us all…," he muttered under his breath.

"Let's get back on the road!" Geoff cried after Amy and I had swum around for a few moments. We climbed out of the River in sopping wet clothes and hopped back on the horses after allowing them to graze and drink from the water.

When we came into the city of Jordan, it was completely the opposite of the town in front of the palace back the way we had come. The buildings here towered high above us and were spotless. The floor looked like brick. I was surprised at how the palace looked like sham compared to this fantastic city. We roamed the marketplace for a while, searching for the stores that sold the products we needed. The stands, by the way, were all stand-up kinds and had clean awnings above them. Definitely a step higher than those back home.

"Here's a bread store!" Amy announced, wending her way through a crowd to get to me and Geoff. We rode through a flock of sheep and found a merchant that sold bread.

"We need one loaf, please," I said. The merchant eyed our little trio suspiciously. We were still wet. He held up a delicious loaf.

"This one ten heroins," he said with a smile. That translated to ten bucks, in American dollars.

"WTF?! THAT MUCH FOR A LITTLE LOAF OF BREAD?!" I cried indignantly. Geoff placed a hand on my shoulder and got off the horse.

"My good man, I'll give you four heroins for that loaf," he bartered.

"Eight!"

"Five!"

"Nine!"

"Four!"

"All, right, this is getting out of hand—,"

"Twelve heroins!" We looked around to see who had said that. It was Amy who looked like she felt all smart and triumphant-like.

"SOLD!" The merchant smiled as I reluctantly handed over the money and he gave Geoff the bread which he put in the saddlebags.

"Don't be hatin' my mad barganin' skills!" Amy snapped at me when I gave her the evil eye. I hung my head.

"I'll barter for the butter," I said forcefully. "And _Geoff_ will handle the fish."

Geoff nodded in agreement, as did Amy.

When we found the fish stand, down by the part of the river which ran through Jordan, Geoff and I told Amy to stand by the horses while we went and bargained.

"What a price!" I chirped when we came back with five fish wrapped in paper.

"Tell me about it!" Geoff said chipperly, putting the fish in the other saddlebag.

"How much?" Amy asked curiously.

"Five fish for eight heroins!" Geoff said, the stupid grin still plastered on his face.

"Wow! Wait…is that good?" Amy asked.

I nodded.

When the butter shop came into view I went and fetched one tub of it for three heroins. On the trip back, we were full of vigor on our successful trip into the city.

"Who knew a little woman would be so good at bargaining?" Geoff asked, squeezing my shoulders.

"What was that?!" I asked angrily.

"I-uhh…um…,"

WHAM

I shoved Geoff off the back of the horse and he hit the ground with his left shoulder. "You walk," I said huffily, trotting off. Geoff grumbled but obeyed me, jogging as we reentered the forest.

"Dang, girl, what was with the attitude back there?" Amy asked me as we kept a good distance from Geoffrey who had taken up walking behind us.

"I hate being treated like a weak little girl," I explained, jerking my thumb behind me to show that Geoff had treated me in the way I disliked.

"Ah, ha! I see," Amy said, smirking. "But I thought you were _woo'd_,"

"What?! Like _fun _I was!" I snapped indignantly, puffing out my chest.

"Then you don't mind I take a crack at him?"

"HUH?!"

Amy brought Fire Flower back to Geoff and I could tell she was asking him if we would like to ride with her. There was a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it, and focused on the path ahead of me.

Several times, I looked back at Amy and Geoff who were riding together, with Geoff in the front this time. He appeared liking to be treated like a guy. Amy smiled at me. I stuck my tongue out at her and hurried out of their sight. God, Amy could really get under a person's skin after a while. When we came to the end of the forest, I galloped out, glad to be able to be alone if oh, only for a minute or two. I sighed and patted Moon Star on a job well done.

McCarthy's blacksmith shop came into view when I squinted.

"HEY! They're back! I see her!! Katie's here!!"

I looked closer and saw all my friends running toward me with open arms.

"Katie, what took you so long?" Mackenzie asked angrily, grabbing my shirt collar and pulling me off Moon Star. "McCarthy, put her away," McCarthy took Moon Star back into the stables.

"I…uh…Amy and I were-erm…attacked," I muttered, looking sheepish while dangling in mid-air in Mackenzie's unbelievable grip.

"Attacked?! By _who?!_" Morgan asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"By bandits. It was no biggie though, we both got out all right…," I mumbled.

"Where is Amy, anyway?" Sarah asked, looking around me. Amy came towards us on Fire Flower.

"Who're you?" Nich asked Geoffrey as he swung off the horse and helped Amy get off.

"Relax, pal. Name's Geoff," Geoff said, extending his hand.

"Where're you from, Geoff?"

"The woods,"

"Oh, really?"

"Yup,"

"Oh, all right then!" Nich chirped, grabbing Geoff's hand and pumping it vigorously. Geoff looked really put-ff by Nich's sudden change of character and pulled his hand back.

Mackenzie sniffed Geoff, who looked even more put-off and looked like he might run, but Amy pushed him against Fire Flower and held him fast.

"You get the supplies?" Mackenzie asked me as she let go. I landed on my feet.

"Yea. They're here in the bags," I mumbled as I rummaged around in both bags for the food stuffs.

"Speaking of which, why did you want us to get that stuff?" Amy asked as Mack took the stuff in her arms.

Mackenzie ignored her.

"Well, as for timing, you were three hours outside the time limit, so I'm going to have to fail you. This means…," Mackenzie got that evil glint in her eyes again. The main characters all backed away fearfully from her as she advanced on us, herding us to the training field. She put the food on a box and unsheathed her sword. "TIME FOR DETENTION! RUN MY LITTLE WORMS! RUN LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!"

We all scattered. Mackenzie took turns chasing us around the field for our thirty laps. Geoff watched interestedly from the sidelines. When Mackenzie was not chasing me threateningly with her sword precariously close to my butt, I was swinging at the wood blocks on which I was making incredible progress. Or I was running through the obstacle course. I improved and only fell in two times. One when I had collided with Hanna who had been running from the opposite end from Mackenzie, and the second time when Nich collided with one of the poles I was standing on. I didn't get very worn out this time through. Then she ran at me again. I was tired and unable to continue running, so I turned to face her.

"Ah! A challenger at last!" Mackenzie exclaimed.

"Um…Should someone try and stop them?" Geoff asked McCarthy who had come out to laugh.

"Nope. No one can stop Mackenzie once she goes this far," McCarthy said.

Mackenzie leapt up into the air and came down on the wood block I was balancing on. It exploded into millions of pieces. I just managed to dive out of the way.

"Come and get it, loser!" Mackenzie cackled. My challenge seemed to drive Mackenzie crazy. Oh, how I wished I had not done it now!

"S-Someone help me! Please!!" I whined, jumping around Mackenzie's blows. Each of which left mini craters in the ground.

"Good luck, Katie!" McCarthy cried.

"Catch it with your bare hands!" Morgan told me.

"Hope you live!" Amy chirped.

"Don't just stand there! Do something!!" I snarled.

"DIE!!" Mackenzie suddenly appeared behind me. She slashed. I side-stepped her, getting only a part of my baggy sleeve cut.

_'Oh, NO! At this rate, she is going to kill me!'_ I thought. "IDEA!" I ran to the top of the twisting jump thing and grabbed one of the bags of flour. "FLOUR BOMB!" I cried, slamming it onto the end of Mackenzie's sword when she pursued me. There was a huge cloud of flour that enveloped the two of us. I took this chance to escape.

"HMPH! Where are you, coward?" Mackenzie snarled. She looked around and began sniffing the ground. She stood on the edge of the river.

"YAAAAH!!!" I leapt out of the water and linked my arms through Mackenzie's in a puppet-grip.

"WTF?!" She shrieked, trying to shake me off. "Let go of me!"

"NOOOO!!! I can't die until I know the kingdom of River Belle Path is safe!" I protested as Mackenzie tried wriggling free of my grip.

_'I…I can't breathe! What is this? But she just said something stupid! My strength…flowing out of me…'_ Mackenzie felt limp in my arms so I released her. She turned around and faced me.

"You are indeed a worthy opponent, Katie. I shall look forward to battling you again," Mackenzie told me, bowing. I felt weird.

"Oh, It's OK," I mumbled. My heart was racing.

"Who won?" Sarah asked no one in particular from by the fence. (Meaning that they could not hear our conversation from a distance.)

Mackenzie and I both collapsed, panting and laughing at how stupid we both felt.

"A…tie…," Geoff said skeptically. They ran over to us.

"Damn, Katie! That was amazing! None of us ever managed to best Mackenzie!" Nich said, helping me up. I smiled and wiped a tear from my eye.

"Believe me, it was just luck. Nothing else," I told him.

"OK, that was good practice, everybody! Tremendous effort I saw in all of you today," Mackenzie exclaimed, rounding everyone up by the blacksmith shop.

"Mack, the stuffs you ordered will be ready tomorrow!" McCarthy called from within the blacksmith shop.

"OK! Thanks McCarthy!" Mackenzie replied. "Oh, Katie. Before I forget, how much money did you save?"

I took out the money pouch and tossed it to her. She looked inside. There were two gold coins and one silver coin. Three out of fifteen coins were left.

"All right. For a first timer, you did pretty good. I'll say you get a seventy-five on your grade for today's lesson," Mackenzie said simply, pocketing the pouch.

"Now, someone mind telling me why we had to go fetch the food? I mean, it's not much of a quest, is it?" Amy asked. Mackenzie smiled.

"It was for lunch of course! I thought you would be hungry when you got back," she said, splitting the bread and slathering on butter and fish. "Fish sandwich anybody?" she asked. We all fell anime-style.


	11. Is There a Rivalry in the Air?

**Sr: **What in the world is going on?! Why are you posting new chapters so much?! O-0

**Katie:** Ja! This never happens. You normally wait about a friggin' month.

**Author: **glare, Oh stuff it. I forgot to update, and so I'm doubling up!

**Momo:** This is a lie. You're not doubling up because you forgot! You're doing it because of my puppy dog stare!

**Author:** SHUT UP, DANG YOU!!!

**Amy: **Randomly appears out of nowhere, ROAD TRIP!!!

**Sr:** YAY! Throws hands up in air, among them a laptop, See? I update regularly:P

**Katie: **DROP IT ALREADY!!!!! Dives at him

**Sr: **EEP! ..

**Momo: **On the phone, calling up our peeps. Ya, dawgs! It's gonna be 'da shiz! Hurry on ova'!

_**Where can this crazy bunch be going? Is the disclaimer actually popular? Will Sr come out unscathed…? Tune in next time **_

After Lunch

"So, you got anything else planned for today?" I asked Mackenzie who was finishing up the last of the fish. She smacked her lips.

"Well. Truth be told. No. I didn't really plan on doing anything else. So I guess you guys are free for the rest of the afternoon," Mackenzie said. Everyone blinked and stared at her. "WHHAAAT? I can be reasonable every now and then!"

The Next Morning-Breakfast

Geoffrey had been assigned his own quarters after having to meet the queen. His room was down the hall from Amy and mine's. He got well-acquainted with the rest of our friends that night, so it was no surprise that when Amy and I came down in our under clothes that had been washed by the time we'd gotten back the day before, to find them all chattering about in the dining hall.

Geoffrey eyed us skeptically.

"And you are in your underwear…why?" he asked me.

I shrugged him off.

"It's because she's Undie G-," Nich was cut off by my death glare. Geoffrey smirked and I squeezed on the bench between him and Nich. Amy sat across from him. A waiter-slug thing came over.

"Hey you. I would like to have the short stack of berries, three pieces of toast, a sausage and two fried eggs. Oh, and some milk." The guy cocked an eyebrow, but wrote it down.

"Glutton," Geoffrey mumbled. I glared at him. Geoffrey said, "I'll have a bowl of-" I giggled. He looked over to me angrily. "Are you implying something by that giggle?" I let out a full laugh. The way he said it was so funny! Even Mackenzie, Sarah, and Morgan laughed. Geoff fumed sullenly.

"Is she your sister?" the guy asked inquisitively.

"No!" Geoffrey exclaimed in unison. I laughed again.

"Well, please continue with your order," the man said.

Geoffrey continued, "Scrambled eggs, toast, and sausages and water."

"You call me a glutton," I said. He glared daggers at me.

The waiter shrugged his shoulders and left.

"...Short stack," I giggled, and everyone laughed except for Geoffrey.

"That's it!!" he exclaimed, and jumped over the table towards me.

I laughed and hid under the table. He went right under afer me. I popped up next to Amy.

"I think the waiter was right; you two act like brother and sister," she said.

I jumped over the table as Geoffrey's head popped up next to Amy's.

"Relax, my brother," Nich said between laughing. "They'll kick us out!"

"Yeah, so stop jumping on the table," Amy said, the first to sober up.

Geoffrey just fumed until the waiter came back. I peered at my food with glee as she put it down in front of me.

"Call me if you need me," I said.

Geoff practically attacked his food.

"Geez, don't you eat in the woods?" Hanna asked.

"Glutton," I said. He was to busy eating to reply or even hear me. I shrugged and started eating.

When a waitress-slug came by, she gaped at Geoff and I. "I can't believe you two finished!" she exclaimed.

"I was hungry," I said. "Geoffrey's just a glutton." He glared at me. Again. God, it was fun poking fun at him! I stuck my tongue out. After breakfast, Amy and I went back up to our rooms to change into some regular clothes.

"Wouldn't it have just been easier if you came down in your regular clothes?" Geoff asked skeptically as we got up to leave.

"Yup," I said.

"Yup? What kind of word is that anyway?"

"A word that I use,"

"I gathered as much. But where did you get it?"

"I dunno,"

"There's another one! Dunno? What the hell's dunno?!"

"It's DON'T KNOW, DUMBBUTT!"

"Dumbutt? What kinda-"

"DON'T START!!" I snarled.

"But!-"

"Oh, you're good," I told Geoff. He gave me that touché sign and I waved him off. When Amy and I were in our rooms, I locked the door and began laughing a little.

"You get set off too easily," Amy told me, unable to hold back a little smile.

"I know. I got that a lot back home," I froze up. "Home…,"

Amy came over and squeezed my shoulders. She clouded over as well.

"Oh, Amy. What about our families?! Surely they must've realized we've been gone by now!" I choked.

"Oh, that's not gonna be a problem. I told your mom you were staying at my place, and I told my mom I was staying at your place. They'll never suspect a thing! And Mackenzie stayed here for two weeks our time and that was a total of sixty years! I imagine we've only been away for ten minutes," Amy joked. I smiled.

"Yeah, you're probably right," I said, standing up and brushing myself off. "No use whining about the past. Let's go meet the others!" Amy nodded and we changed. Again, we dressed in the guy-type clothing rather than the girly dresses.

"Smoooth. You wear guy's clothing and have so far managed to escape being called cross-dressers?" Geoffrey asked when we re-entered the entrance hall.

"_Yes_," I said with contempt.

"Well, your friends went on ahead to the blacksmith shop. Your armor and stuff's ready. I've got baby-sitting duty and I will not be late," Geoff said, making me and Amy walk in front of him. On the way into the town, once again, I kicked my feet into the air and ran around Geoffrey, ticking him off so much that he hit me!

"Hey! I thought a truly valiant man would never hit a girl!" I snapped, rubbing the back of my head.

"Whoever said I was valiant? I'm just a bandit after all," Geoffrey pointed out.

"Nyah. The fruit's got a point, Kate," Amy said.

"I'm taller than both _you_ and the short cake over here," Geoff snapped.

"HEY! WHO'RE YOU CALLING AN ANT SO SMALL THEY CAN'T ESCAPE THE WRATH OF A SHOE!?!??" I bellowed angrily.

Geoffrey and Amy spent several happy moments abusing me, and I them. I swore they had it in for me. So, it was only natural, that after being absorbed in my conversation, that I was surprised to see the prince in all his studly glory standing among my little group of troopers beside McCarthy as they waited for us.

"What're _you_ doing here?" I asked the prince curiously. The prince looked at me with his dark eyes, but said nothing. "What are you, a mute?"

"Katie! That's the prince!" Morgan moaned.

"Hmph. That doesn't excuse his lack of manners!" I reminded them. I turned back to the prince. "Yo, you! You got a name other than 'Prince'?" I asked. When the prince spoke, I jumped.

"My name is Jakob," He told me.

"EEP! Don't _do_ that!" I exclaimed, jumping about fifty feet in the air. Everyone laughed nervously as the tension dissipated.

"OK, Katie. Amy. The prince is here to train with us today," Mackenzie explained. I nodded.

"Sorry, Jakob," I said, grinning nervously as if he might put me to death.

"No matter. I have not laughed in a while," Jakob said.

I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"I'll need you guys to come with me. I'm gonna suit you up," McCarthy said. He was leaning against the doorway of his shop, sweaty as always. The others made way for us as we entered the shop. "Stand here, like you did when I was measuring you, Katie," the man said. I stood spread-eagled. Outside was the unmistakable sound of steel on steel. I was eager to get out and see Jakob in action. But for now, the armor held fast my attention.

First, McCarthy started on the chain-link mail which was like a shirt made of small metal rings all hooked together. I still had yet to figure out how that was made. Then, he bent down and put my leg plates on. They were made of a light kind of metal, so it was easy to move around in. It ended just above my knees on either leg. Then, I was fitted with a breast plate on the front and back of my body. Shoulder plates were then added, and my hair was braided. While Amy was going through the same process, McCarthy's assistant took me over to a sword that was being held upside down on two pegs. It was shiny and brand new.

"It yours," she told me.

The blade was really shiny. It glittered like diamonds in the light from the kiln. It was about three feet long.

"What ever you's be doin', do not touch the end. I say this with great caution. You lose finger 'afore you feel the blade touch your skin, let 'lone the pain," she said. I nodded. That kind of a warning was enough to tell me to handle this sword carefully. I reached up to take the weapon off the rack.

"Ah! Wait second, please. I get you new scabbard," the woman said. She hurried away and came back with a shiny new black scabbard which I gently slid the sword into.

McCarthy looked over my shoulder as Amy was given a blade identical to mine.

"Ah, they are the best we've ever made," he said fondly as I strapped the scabbard to my hip.

"And I thank you for it, truly," I bowed.

"Ha ha! The material is a super-hardened carbon steel edge. It appears so flexible because it is so microscopically thin, rigid, and strong," he said. I didn't get anything he said, but nodded all the same. "Now scoot on outside, you two. You should get used to that stuff by the time you leave for your caravan," McCarthy said, bunting Amy and I out of his shop.

"Wait. How do you know about our mission? I thought it was a secret!" Amy said.

"Oh, it's not, I assure you. The whole town is going to throw a celebration for you and your party. Now _scoot!_" McCarthy closed the curtain-door in our faces.

"What was that all about?" I asked Amy. She shrugged and we went around back. The others stopped and stared at us.

"Wow! You guys look seriously awesome!" Sarah exclaimed, coming over to us along with everyone else.

"Thanks!"

"Show us the weapons McCarthy made for you!" Mackenzie whined.

"You have a fetish for swords, don't you, _Mackentosh?_" Nich asked. Mackenzie knocked him out with her sword.

Amy and I pulled out our swords together in one great flourish.

"Coooool! They're so much cooler than mine!" Morgan sighed.

"Show us what it can do!" Hanna said.

"Bet it can't do much. Look how thin it is!" Geoff scoffed.

"Wanna bet? I'll give you a fish it does more than your chipped piece of crap!" Sarah snapped.

"You're on!" Sarah and Geoffrey shook hands.

"Well, c'mon, then! Show us!" Mackenzie said.

"OK!" I went over to the first block of wood I had ever hit in the yard, and raised my sword above my head. "HIII-YAAAAH!" I swung my sword hard.

"Woah," Geoffrey whispered. My sword was stuck about half-way into the wood.

"YAYA! SARAH EATS FISH TONIGHT!" Sarah chirped.

"That's amazing!" Mackenzie exclaimed.

"Yeah, I agree!" Hanna sighed dreamily.

"Huh? Whazzat?" Nich got up, saw my sword, and began to praise me as well.

Geoffrey walked over to me and leaned on my head.

"Take it out now," he told me casually.

I tugged. It didn't budge.

"Ha! She can't even get it out!" Geoffrey scoffed. When the others realized I could not remove the sword, they laughed. Sarah cursed.

"HYAH!" I tugged one last time with all my strength and the sword came free. I swung wide, and it nearly slashed open Geoffrey's stomach.

"That's one nice sword, Kid," Jakob said finally, patting my head. I looked up awkwardly. He winked at me.

"Hey, pal. She doesn't want all that!" Geoffrey said. He and Jakob locked gazes. I wondered what their problem was.


	12. Yay! Katie Gains a Level!

**The door opens and a bunch of people file into the room, having answered Momo's summons. Including some of my friends that have read this story elsewhere… **

**Amy:** SHOT GUN!

**Hanna:** I'm driving!

**Katie:** Nope. Sr is.

**Nich:** Oh God…We're all gonna die…

**Sr:** I just got my permit

**Jakob:** …That scares me…

**Katie:** clears throat Well it appears that we have so many members that we must separate into multiple rides WOOO!

**Group 1:**

**Leader:** Katie

**Members:** Sarah, Hanna, Geoff

**Group 2:**

**Leader:** Sr

**Members:** Jakob, Morgan, Nich

**Group 3:**

**Leader:** Amy

**Members:** Joy, Brian, Tyler

**Group 4:**

**Leaders:** Mackentosh

**Members:** Christina, Ashley, Stephanie

**Mackentosh:** We call the Lamborghini…DRIVERS SPOT!

**Amy:** Porsche all the way peeps.

**Sr:** We call the Mercedes.

**Katie:** Screw you people. We got the Bently…Oh!  
everyone piles into the cars…some sitting on others laps just to fit…

**Group 1:**

**Katie:** Just feel that breeze in you hair….

**Geoff:** I would…But…I can't move hardly…Sarah in the way…turning blue

**Katie:** Crap. pulls over

**Hanna:** I have an idea….  
a few minutes later all is well…but Sarah is missing

**Somewhere in the Trunk:** HEY! This isn't funny! Let me out!

I looked strangely up at the two older guys who looked each other in the eyes; Jakob's hand still rested on my head. I wondered why. I moved away.

"Hey, ya'll. Why don'cha lighten up?" I asked them, planting my feet and putting my hands on my hips. I stared at them, and they stared back, taking in my body language. They each cracked a smile and then burst into laughter.

"HAHAHA! YOU LOOK SO STUPID!!" Geoffrey exclaimed, tears running down his face.

"Really! Bwahaha. You're not very intimidating…!" Jakob cackled.

I thwacked them both into silence. Then they took me seriously. Mackenzie came over.

"OK, we've been training up your physical abilities for three days now. You've got three days until we leave. Seeing's how our party has grown much bigger than I had intended-," she glared at me, "-I will request the use of another caravan. But, back to the main order of business, I want to start training you guys in the more serious forms of martial arts-type moves. I have picked out some moves that will be more suited to each of you. Sarah, Amy, and Katie. Come here!" Mackenzie barked. I jumped and hurried over to her. "The rest of you move back to the castle or into the villa. Somewhere you will be far from range. These three, I believe, need to learn the ranged attacks so they can fight battles from the back,"

"Hey! I thought I told you I was no puny little woman!" I exclaimed indignantly.

"I'm sorry, Katie. But this is what I've decided on. Deal with it," Mackenzie snapped. I groaned, but eventually agreed and let Mackenzie teach us. The others were peeking around the corners of McCarthy's shop. "Okie dokie, the moves you will learn and will therefore be practicing the rest of your time; are ranged attacks. They are used with your swords and can create wind and other elements if begun correctly. Watch; this first one is the shock bomb," Mackenzie shooed us back, stood beside us, then ran forward about five feet, spread her legs apart, and did a cartwheel. After this rather magnificent piece of gymnastics, she cried "SHOCK BOMB!" and a large amount of earth was torn away about twenty feet in front of her sword. She stood up, and the three of us applauded.

"THAT WAS SWEET!" I exclaimed.

Mackenzie nodded.

"That was something Mackenzie. I wonder how you keep so fit when you're that old!" Amy chirped.

"Oooh, you're in trooouble…!" Sarah trailed off.

"No, she's not. I am old. I know this. And these moves are taking their toll on my body. It hurts, but I deal for the sake of my kingdom.

"YOU GO, GIRL!" Morgan sobbed from the shop. Mackenzie raised her sword and acted as if she would bombard the house. It fell into silence, and she lowered her weapon.

"Now, you guys try,"

"No way I'll learn that move!" Amy exclaimed, gawking at Mackenzie.

"Same! I may have been in gymnastics for six years, but I haven't even gotten used to my armor yet!" I said.

"Take it off," Mackenzie said simply. I scowled at her and took off the armor. So, about forty pounds lighter, I lined up and got ready for my first attempt. I gripped my blade tightly. My greatest fear was that I would end up impaling myself on my sword.

"Do we gotta cry out 'shock bomb'?" I asked curiosly.

"Of course. A person's true strength comes from the abdominal region. Exhaling a great amount of air helps build up strength. Or something like that. In any case, just cry it," Mackenzie said.

"Roger," the three of us said.

"GO!"

I ran and sucked in a large amount of air, but when I went to try and flip, my fear gripped my stomach tightly and I fell flat on my back, winded.

"What the hell was that?!" Mackenzie snarled, helping the three of us up.

"WTF did I tell you?! I can't do it!" Amy snarled.

"Exactly," Sarah added.

"OK, since you can't do it, I'll help you learn to do the move myself," Mackenzie grabbed me and dragged me apart from the others. "Now, just go limp and try to tune your body to what I am going to do," I felt weird with Mackenzie holding my hands and everything. She told me to control my hands and swing when I felt the time was right. She then used her hands; putting one on my back, and my calves. She made my legs spread, sending pain into them, and flipped my body over her back.

"OWW!" I slammed my sword into the ground when Mackenzie dropped me. My legs ached. But something else happened as well. A slight wind suddenly swooped from behind my and blew a couple of stones from around my sword.

"See? It's not impossible you three. Now, I know you can do it! AGAIN!" Mackenzie cried.

Encouraged by what I had done, I grabbed my sword and limped back to my starting point.

"Maybe stretching would help," I said.

"Whatever will help you; do it," she told us.

So, my little trio of training buddies did a number of weird stretches. I pulled my foot to the back of my head while standing up. (A/N: I can actually do that. :D) The muscles between my legs ached and my back popped numerous times, but I felt loose and limber. Sarah did the splits. I gaped. And Amy pulled her feet behind her neck and ran with her hands for several feet. I smirked.

"That'll be the best distraction we can get if we need to escape!" I told her. She hit me and we lined up again.

"GO!"

This time, I got about halfway up the flip before I crashed to the ground. Amy had tried getting away with holding her sword in her teeth and doing a normal cartwheel, but she had been too slow, and fell also. Sarah had stood valiantly defying Mackenzie. She knew her limits and knew that she would be unable to do this. What a mistake.

"OK! SINCE YOU _CAN'T DO IT_---," Mackenzie trailed off and stared at the little heads poking around the corners in the distance. "GEOFF! GET OVER HERE!!"

"EEP!!" Geoff pulled back behind the house, hoping Mackenzie would forget him.

"Go on, now!" Jakob said, shoving Geoffrey toward us. Geoffrey flicked him off and stomped toward us, looking mutinous. "What do you want…erm-Mackenzie?" he asked.

"I want you to show these women how to do the shock bomb whilst I go start teaching the others. I assume you are familiar with the move," here she glared at Geoff who cringed and shadowed his face.

"Yes. I do. Go teach the others…," Geoffrey mumbled. Mackenzie walked away toward the blacksmith where it was chaos; so many people running around trying to find a place to hide.

"Are you crying?" I asked Geoffrey, looking up into his face.

"YOU STARE AT ME LIKE THAT AND ASK ME IF I'M CRYING?! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!!" Geoffrey cackled, slapping the air indignantly. I jumped back, startled.

"Well, you sure don't seem to be crying to me," I mumbled.

"Whatever. Now! I am not _nearly_ as strict a teacher as Mackenzie is. I will teach you how to get into the positions needed to do this move," Geoff said.

Sarah raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"What did Mackenzie mean when she was glaring at you?" she asked.

"That is private," Geoff replied. "Now, I want you to do your stretches for a bit, then tell me when you think you're ready to do this-," he ran, did that spinning cartwheel, and slashed about another twenty feet in front of his blade.

"WOW! You _do_ know how to do it!" I exclaimed, clapping.

"OK! I will take…," Mackenzie trailed off, looking at the rest of my friends who remained by the smithy. I'll take the lot of you. That'd be easier. But then I'm going to split you into two factions of two people. Morgan and Nich will be in one group, and Jakob and Hanna will be in the other," Mackenzie said all this while walking out to a blank splotch of training ground. Hanna sighed.

"What will we be learning today?" Jakob asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together enthusiastically. Hanna wondered what had happened to the stoic prince she had admired. Oh well, this one was cooler anyway.

"You two-," Mackenzie pulled Hanna and Jakob out of group and put them at the front lines, "are learning the 'pulse thrust.' It is a powerful move that requires a lot of legwork. If there is a wounded enemy, this move guarantees an instant kill. It can also blow up walls and tough-standing buildings,"

"Coool," Hanna said.

"OK, show us the pulse thrust," Jakob said.

"I will. Watch; let us hope that you will be able to grasp the concept better than _those three_ Mackenzie said, pointing to my group. Mackenzie crouched down so that her bottom almost touched the ground. Then, while spinning and working jumping forward at the same time, she pulled her sword up to eye level. She was about 3/4 's of the way up when she cried 'PULSE THRUST!' and pushed her blade forward, the muscles in her arms bulging, evident even under her clothing. A large ball of wind had been forming around her, and at the command, flew forward and obliterated a tree standing by the River. "Think you can do it?" she asked Hanna and Jakob. They were already bouncing around, too concentrated to respond. Mackenzie nodded fondly.

"OK, Nich, Morgan. You two are the lightest of all of us, so you will be at the sides of our battle formation, and will learn close-ranged, quick-step moves. Your key move will be the 'Aura Shot," Mackenzie said. They both nodded. "This one is-,"

"An attack where you use part of your chi, focus, and then shoot off at a speed thought of in the mind, which should be really fast. The shot is then to hit the enemy and cause damage. Though not very effective if used once, being hit a considerable amount of times will cause great injury and pain," Morgan said quickly, all in one breath. Mackenzie and Nich gawked at her. "Whaa-aat? I read…every now and then… … ."

"Anyway, it goes like this-," Mackenzie stood still, holding her sword to her eyes. She was concentrating. All in about the space of five seconds, a glowing red gas-like substance began rotating around her. 'AURA SHOT!' was cried and the red chi concentrated itself in the form of a ball and slammed into the already-defeated tree which cracked and turned into dust.

Nich was the first up to try the Aura Shot. He closed his eyes and drained all emotions out of himself. He felt someone flick his nose. He opened his eyes and Morgan was standing there making a stupid face. He burst into laughter, and the light yellow light that had begun to form around him flew outward.

"_Morgan!_!" Mackenzie snapped, dragging Morgan away from Nich with one hand.

"Whaaat? It's all in good fun! Let me go!" Morgan whined. Makenzie dropped her.

"Stay here and _practice_. I will be back. I'm going over to Katie's group," Mackenzie said huffily, stalking off.


	13. Geoff Tried to Kill Me!

**Group 2:**  
**Christina:** "IT GOES ONE BY ONE EVEN TWO BY TWO!" jamming to "Pon de Replay"  
**All:** singing  
**Sr: **trying to sing but breaks a window and causes Christina to scream and swerve wildly on the road  
**All:** AHHHHHHHHH!  
**Kouga:** I think I just wet my pants…--  
**All:** stop screaming O.o…..AHHHHHHHHHHH!  
**Christina:** gains control  
**Sr:** Come on, it wasn't that bad.  
**All:** -- kick Sr out of the car, leaving him by the road in the middle of nowhere WEEEEEEEE!

**Group 3: **  
**Carolyn:** W00T! W00T! I ain't playing around! Make one false move I take ya down. Get back y'all don't know me like that.  
**Everyone else: **Get back, get back, y'all don't know me like that  
**Carolyn:** YAY! steps on it I'm gonna be in the Dukes of Hazzard movie! WEEEEEEE!  
**Cops:** O.O pull up behind Carolyn (You saw this comin') Pull over! Stop in the name of the law!  
**Carolyn:** MUAHAHHAHHA! NEVER!  
**Kikyo: **AHHHHH! Pull over! AHHHHH! screaming and shaking people dramatically  
**Joy:** covering her earsMAKE IT STOP!!!  
**Tyler** ….  
**All:** AHHHHHH!  
**Tyler** ……Oh for God sakes…throws Kikyo out the top of the porshe and into the path of the cops  
**Cop 2**run over Kikyo Did you feel something?  
**Cop 1:** Nope.  
**Cop 2:** shrugs and resumes the chase  
**Amy:** calls up Sarah HELP!

I was warming up and getting used to flipping with Geoff, who held the small of my back in his hands as I leapt up and backwards and over his hand. Geoff would then hold me suspended in the air-I was very surprised-while Amy split my legs apart. Our split exercises helped reduce the pain, but they were still unable to open all the way like Mackenzie, so we gave up on the part once we reached our limits. After holding me in that weird position, Amy let go and Geoff flung me up and I swung down with my sword. I felt woozy from being hung upside-down for a bit, but my group had made progress in such a short amount of time. I created a three foot crater in front of me. Amy had done the same. Sarah had perfected the flip on her own, which was saying a lot, seeing how I still needed help with it, and Amy could do a six-foot crack in the earth. And Geoff, of course, already had that move down packed.

"Think you can do it on your own?" Geoff asked me. I nodded, confident I wouldn't kill myself at least.

"GO TO IT, KAT!" Sarah cried encouragingly. Far from making me more nervous, her cry had energized me. I lived on attention….most of the time.

"Don't trip and fall," Amy told me, smiling. I scowled at her.

"OK, back up…," I repeated the steps Geoff had explained to me earlier out loud. I backed up, ran, and flipped. My legs stretched, I heard a _pop_ and after I had done the crack in the earth, which was really long, I gripped my leg tightly in one of my hands. It hurt!

"Mackenzie! Mackenzie!!" I heard. I clenched my eyes painfully tight, gripping a muscle in my upper thigh. It felt stretched, you know? Like butter scraped over too much bread. Sarah was pushed out of the way as Mackenzie muscled her way in, looking at my leg.

"What's wrong with her? Can you tell?" Amy asked, peering over Mackenzie's shoulder.

"Just pulled a muscle," Mackenzie said simply, letting go of my hands and leg. "But none the less, this move has proved too challenging for you three. I'm gonna teach you a new one. It's called the meteor blast," Mackenzie stood up and helped me stand. My right leg nearly buckled. "Katie, you watch from the sides. I'll teach you when you're ready,"

"But I wanna fight!" I whined annoyingly, leaning on Mackenzie as she led me over to a fence post I could sit on.

"Nope. A warrior's health comes first. You rest up for a bit, and then I'll teach you," Mackenzie said, plopping me on the fence post and going back to the others. "The rest of you guys will learn, instead of the shock bomb, an attack called Meteor Blast. It requires incredible amounts of chi. And magic ability. You must make your chi invisible and slam it down on your opponent from above, like a meteor," Mackenzie told the others. Then a thought came to her. "OI! NICH, MORGAN, JAKOB, HANNA!" The rest of the group came over to Mackenzie and listened to her as she explained the idea to just train them all together.

"You should've just done that from the beginning _stoopid_," Geoffrey scoffed. Mackenzie grabbed one of those expensive pieces of shit called rocks and chucked it at his head. He stumbled back, and fell against the fence post underneath me.

"You shouldn't do that," I told him.

"No, duh!!" he snarled, hopping up and hurrying back to the group.

I watched interestedly from the sidelines as each of my friends slowly practiced the Meteor Blast. It seemed that I could learn a lot more from watching, than actually turning. I got to see each of my friends' bodies twist, their muscles bulging, the exact angle of their legs and everything. It got to the point where I jumped off the fence and landed on my good leg. I hobbled over to them.

"Let me try," I said, looking fiercely around at them all.

"I thought I told you to stay on the fence!" Mackenzie snapped.

"I can do it. I _know_ I can!" I replied. "I've put my own twist onto it, too!"

"Should we let her try?" Jakob asked everyone. They huddled. After five seconds they pulled apart.

"Well, I don't want to, but everyone else is all gung ho for it, so give it a shot," Mackenzie told me.

"wOOt!" I chirped. "Now, back up. I've been watching you guys from my perch, and I've learned better than I thought. So watch _this_!" I stood still, my hands at my sides. I cleared my mind of everything except mastering the Meteor Blast. I did not screw up my face in concentration as the others had. I calmly thought about what I wanted and how I was going to achieve it.

All of a sudden, I felt very, very warm. I peeked open one eye. There was my pink chi, just as I had planned. Now…that just left using my own move to incorporate it into an attack.

"KYYYAAAAAAH!!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air. Morgan and Nich cried out in alarm. The chi soared into the air and fell back to me. At the last second, I flung my body backwards and kicked the thing powerfully with my left leg. I landed hard on my back, and the chi-ball flew out of sight into the distance which, unfortunately, was the village.

"AAH! MY CABBAGES!" A voice cried.

"What's the cabbage man from 'Avatar' doing here?" Hanna asked curiously. Everyone shrugged and helped me up.

"You a'ight?" Sarah asked, helping me up.

I was grinning wildly. "Yuppers. So, what'cha think of my move?"

"That was about the most freaking sweet thing I'd ever seen!" Amy chirped. Sarah let me go, and I tested my right leg tenderly. It hurt, but I could still stand on it.

"Hey, Mackenzie! Is it possible to physically touch your chi other than that attack?" I asked. Mackenzie emerged from behind Jakob and glowered at me for a second. I hid behind Sarah.

"I wouldn't know. I don't think anyone's ever tried," Mackenzie muttered, turning her back on me and heading back to the castle.

"What's her deal?" I asked.

"Who knows? She's just bitter about the fact that you can do the moves better than she can," Nich said.

"HEY, MACK! DON'T FORGET TO ASK ABOUT THE NEW CARAVAN!!" I bellowed after Mackenzie. She raised a hand to acknowledge that she heard me, but she still left.

"So, Katie. Teach us something else!" Geoffrey asked me eagerly. I looked at the sun. It was lowering into the west, and I guessed it was around four or five o'clock.

"I don't know any other moves," I said truthfully, holding my hands in defeat.

"Why don't you teach us how to defend?" Geoffrey asked. Everyone turned, blinked, and stared at him. "There's just this really good way to defend I learned from my hometown!"

"Speaking of which, where did you ever come from?" I asked. Sarah hit me. "OW!"

Geoffrey hung his head. "I don't like to talk about it," he mumbled.

_'Huh. I hope he'll tell me about them on our journey…,'_ I thought.

"OK. Just show us this defence," I said, gesturing Geoff to the front of the group. He came-which was really weird seeing my orders being followed-and turned to face us. I limped amongst the others.

"Now, I need you all to get your shields," Geoff said. Everyone but Amy and I reached for their shield which was slung on their backs. I reached for mine, only to remember that I'd left it in the field. I blushed and scampered off to get my shield, along with Amy. When we returned, Geoff had begun pairing us off into groups.

"I think we'd better split up the duo," Geoff cackled when Amy and I stayed close to each other. "Katie, you'll stay with me, and Amy, you go with Jakob,"

"Screw you, Pal…!" Amy mumbled under her breath as she moved towards the prince.

Once everyone had been split up, Geoff cried for order. (Nich and Morgan, Hanna and Sarah, Amy and Jakob, and Geoffrey and I.)

"It is best if you catch the swing of blade or dagger in the middle of your sword. Chi, however, is oblivious to physical things and is most likely to shatter most. So, to counter chi, you'd better summon up some chi quick," Geoff explained. I nodded, taking this in. "Oh, and _try_ not to kill your partner," Geoffrey sighed when he saw Amy looking mischievous and Jakob looking reluctant to fight her. "Start whenever you wish,"

I looked up expectantly at Geoff and waited. He made no move, so I thought he was going to use a chi move. I backed up and started summoning my counter-attack.

"HIYAH!" I cried. I did my drop kick of chi, but Geoff dodged it, leaping above and beyond it. I was still on the ground, so I wasn't quite ready for his aerial attack, but I managed to get my shield in front of me while I withdrew my blade. I slashed wildly with one hand and Geoff retreated. I jumped up, landing lightly on my toes, ready for another one of Geoff's slippery attacks.

"AURA SHOT!" Geoffrey cried suddenly. I was faced with this enormous ball of chi. It came flying toward me. I remembered that there was no way to block a chi attack. The only way to fight was to fight back with chi of your own. I backed up, ran, and flipped, my right leg shot up with pain, but I landed nimbly.

"SHOCK BOMB!" An enormous crater opened up beneath me, and I jumped into it, flinging my sword across the opening. I hung in the air over the pit while the chi whooshed overhead. The wind nearly unseated my sword. I gripped tighter. Who knew if Geoff was going to come at me again? I lifted myself out of the hole and looked around. The others were deeply immersed in their battles and didn't pay much attention to me. I found Geoff standing ten yards back looking mildly impressed.

"I can tell you can think quickly in tough situations, Short Stack!" He taunted. I felt flames lick the inside of my stomach. I barreled down on him.

"YOU THINK I'M SO SHORT BECAUSE I'M THE SIZE OF AN ANT THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS?!" I roared, raising my shield.

"Haha. This is where you falter. You get angered way too easily. You must learn to control that!" Geoff told me mockingly as I locked blades with the man. I growled and pulled back, then attacked again.

"Don't talk like that! You don't know me!" I snarled, attacking with my sword from the right side. Geoff blocked me easily and flipped backwards.

"Oh, but I can get inside your head," he replied.

"Oh, yeah?! Let's see about _this!_" I ran back about fifty feet and began concentrating. I didn't know what I would do, but I was gonna make this man pay for pissing me off this badly.

"As if concentrating's going to save you here!" Geoff cackled, running at me, blade raised.

All of a sudden, my eyes flew open. They were glowing pink behind my brown pupils. I swung my sword at my side, making dust rise up around me. I could feel the power in my body. And ohh, this guy would pay. When Geoff was about ten feet from me, I dropped my weapon, hanging my arms at my sides, appearing to be asleep.

"Did you give up?" Geoff asked, stopping in his tracks. "What a waste!"

"HA! YOU WISH!" I raised both my hands in front of me, pointing at Geoff. "DUAL BLAST!" I bellowed. The pink chi that I had felt flew forward and curled itself into the form of a dragon. It whipped around Geoff and flung him onto his back. He'd passed out.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I heard Amy shriek. She ran over and pulled Geoff's wrist to her fingers to check for a pulse. I couldn't tell if what I had done had killed him. My head was spinning, my rage draining out of me.

"Katie! I thought this was just _practice!_" Morgan snapped, glaring at me.

"You…you didn't see…what he d-did to me!" I protested weakly.

"Still! You should have held back!" Nich told me. I shook my head.

"From our position it looked like you were trying to kill the guy!" Hanna said. The others nodded their agreement, but I shook my head in protest. I felt really weak then. I don't know what happened to me.

"I…I hope he's...o…OK…," I muttered. Then I fell back into the darkness.

"KATIE!"

By the time I woke up, it was pitch-black out. I was back in my room lying on my feather-mattress with the tiny oil-lantern flickering beside me. My head pounded with one helluva migraine when I sat up, trying to remember what had happened. Then it hit me; I had almost killed Geoff! I sat back down in my pillows, wishing there was a window I could look out of.

_'What the hell came over me? Am I some kind of monster?'_ I pondered this question silently to myself, pulling the covers over my face and yawning.

"Now, now, now. You're never going to get over it if you act like that!" a voice said. I peered over the edge of the blanket to see who the voice was. It was Jakob. The prince was in my bedroom!

"What the heck are you doing in my room…?" I asked without much enthusiasm, glowering at him in the doorway.

"Well, technically, I'm not really _in_ your room." Jakob pointed out.

"Oh, leave me alone," I snarled, turning to my left and burying my face in the pillows. Not was _so_ not the time to try comforting me.

"Nope. Mackenzie sent me up here to check on you. The others are pretty peeved off," Jakob told me, making me feel worse than I already did. He kneeled down by the foot of my bed and sat on my trunk.

"You're not the best psychologist in the world. I'm fine. Don't bother me. Go away," I told _him_. I sniffed. I was feeling sick. About the fact that there were only two days left before I set off, and Geoff's health, and the fact that I was pretty positive everyone hated me now didn't help my churning stomach.

"Oh, stop being so pouty. There's some food here on your trunk-," I heard a slight _clack_ of a wood try being put down on my trunk, "-and I expect you to eat it. You're going to waste away. Night," Jakob chirped, whistling and closing my door on his way out.

_'Why is everyone so damn nice to me? I can't stand it! It hurts!'_ I thought. I got up, and despite the painful protest of my right leg, I grabbed the bread and meat that had been on the tray and sat back in my pillows, thinking deeply. I hated being tended to. I was way more independent than that. I licked my fingers and got out of bed. I looked over at Amy's bed to see that no one was in there. I shrugged and stripped down and got into my comfy white sleeping gown.

I tiptoed out the door, peeking down the halls to check if anyone was coming. It was clear. Perfect. I hurried down the right path and opened the door at the end of the hallway which led to the balcony. I needed fresh air. I closed the door and turned around. The sight was absolutely breath-taking. There was a full-moon which was casting a gorgeous blanket of blue-ish light down onto me. I went over to the ledge and looked down. The River was sparkling and crystal-clear. I sat down on the ground and stared up at the moon, thinking back on the days I had spent in River Belle Path. I missed my parents.

Before I noticed, I had hot salty tears dripping down my face. I screwed up my eyes, letting the tears flow, but determined not to let out loud sobs. I buried my head in my hands hard until little stars popped in front of my eyes and my tears subsided. I stood up. Enough crying for one night, I thought. I headed back to my room.


	14. A Pact Made On Honor

**Group 4:**  
**Sarah:** Oh God….Carolyn's done it now…She's running from the cops, again.  
**Nich: **_rolls his eyes and drives over to where Carolyn is supposed to be_  
**Mackentosh:** I don't see any-  
_suddenly a laughing idiot with a car full of people pass by with a hoard of cops on their rear end_  
**Mackentosh:** _sweatdrop_, Nevermind. This is a job for Hanna. _calls her up_, HELP!!!!!

**Group 2: **  
**Sr:** TURN THE FREAKIN CAR AROUND!  
**Christina:** Why?  
**Sr:** Carolyn's on the run again….And I know what to do! WAHOO! TO THE RESCUE!  
**Jakob:** _making up theme music_ DUN DUN DUM DUN DUN! DEDODADEDEDA-  
**All:** SHUT IT!  
**Jakob: **T.T Meanies…

**Group 1:**  
**Radio:** And Interstate 5 seems to be blocked off due to a highspeed chase involving a crazy idiot with a car full of anime members.  
**Katie:** oh damn.  
**Geoff:** I bet it's Carolyn…  
**Carolyn:** _goes speeding by with cops, Group 4 and 2 on their tail_  
**Katie:** _hits the gas and speeds off after Carolyn_

When I got there, Amy was sitting on her bed, giving me a knowing look.

"I wasn't crying…," I said defensively.

"Oh, please. It's written all over your face. And FYI; the others are ticked at you," Amy informed me.

"Oh, thanks. Like that helps me at a-," I stopped myself. I had an attitude that needed to be kept in check. I started over. "Amy…where's Geoff?" I asked.

Amy quirked an eyebrow. "He's in his room," she told me.

"Is he…is he OK?" I asked.

"He's just bruised,"

"I'll be back,"

I turned around and headed back out the door. I clicked it shut behind me and turned left. The third door on the right side was Geoff's room. I knocked softly. No response.

_'He probably knows it's me…,'_ I thought. I put my mouth near the crack of the door, just in case he hadn't heard me.

"Geoffrey? It's me…Katie…," I said. Still nothing. So he was ignoring me?! I quietly opened the door and peeked around the door. Geoff was sitting up against his headboard, a book perched on his stomach which was going rhythmically up and down, one of his hands resting underneath it, the other on top. His lamp was still lit and standing close-by on his bedside table. I tip-toed over to his bed.

"Geoff?" I whispered, looking into his face. He was sleeping. "I'm sorry, Geoff. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just…I have a real nasty temper. Guess I shoulda warned you, huh?" I asked, smirking in spite of myself. I stood up, ready t

o apologize to the awake-Geoff in the morning.

"Yeah, you should've warned me, Wench," Geoff replied. I whirled around, expecting him to be awake, but he wasn't. He must have gone back to sleep. I blew out his lamp and left the room.

"What were you doing in Geoff's room?"

I bumped right into Mackenzie's breast plate.

"Bluh?"

"You heard me!" she snapped. "What were you doing in his room?"

"I was just apologizing!" I replied quickly, blushing. '_Gaw, it's like she thinks I'd rape him or something!!'_

"Well, stay away from his or Jakob's room after dark. Now get off to bed," Mackenzie told me.

"Wait. I'm sorry. I should've let you train me. I'm just a show-off. I hope you can forgive me?" I looked up at Mackenzie. She looked down at me and nodded curtly.

"I'll forgive you. You've got a lot of power despite your puny frame,"

TWITCH

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A MIDGET THAT COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR A FOOTBALL!!" I cried angrily. Mackenzie grabbed me and tossed me back in my room.

"Dammit, Katie! Would you just _shut up_ for once?!" She snarled, slamming the door in my face.

"Huh?" Amy sat up.

"Oh, it's nothing," I told her, finding my way to my bed in the darkness. Amy had blown out my lamp. I snuggled under the covers of my comforter.

"Hey, Amy?" I asked the darkness. Amy growled at me. No response, but I could tell she was listening. "Do you think I'm going to be allowed to fight with you guys tomorrow?" I asked.

"Meegle flrgm,"

"'Cause I want to practice with you guys. I wanna show you I can control my chi,"

"Hrsha jenblwe,"

"OK. I'll see you in the morning, Amy!" I chirped. I rolled over on my left side and fell asleep.

The next day, my leg felt a bit better, and my migraine was gone. I yawned, and stretched my arms high above my head until my back cracked. Two days left of sleeping on a bed, unfortunately. We were leaving on Saturday. (A/N: Please, bear with me. It's hard keeping track of the amount of days left!!!! XD) I walked over to the closet and pulled on some more brown trousers and a white top. I managed to put my mess of hair into a ponytail and lace up my boots before I left. Amy was already gone. Dang, I slept in late!

On my way to the Dining Hall, I knocked on Geoff's door to see if he was in there. He wasn't, so I hurried down the stairs, aware of the fact that I needed a shower. I was _definitely_ planning on getting a shower after today's practice. Huh…I wondered where the showers were anyway. O.o

I walked into the Hall late, as usual. The other folks stared at me, but I ignored them and walked over to where I could usually find my friends eating. They were in their usual spot, and I took a spot next to Amy.

"Um…Good morning?" I murmured.

"Oh, Katie. Stop acting like that! He's fine!" Amy snapped.

"WTF?! You're attitude sure is different from last night!"

"Yeah, well….Yeah!"

I shrugged her off and dove for some scrambled eggs.

"So…we training again today?" I asked Mackenzie casually.

"But, of course! Our caravan request was accepted, thank the Lord," she told me.

"Cool," I said.

After about another thirty minutes or so, my friends and I hurried out the door and down the steps.

Jakob joined us half-way across the lawn looking distressed and disheveled.

"What's up with you?" Hanna asked.

"Mom's saying that a war is at hand. She wants to send us off as soon as possible. She keeps wanting to talk to me. It's really boring!" Jakob told us. Hanna nodded sympathetically. The rest of our trip was made in silence.

When we got to McCarthy's blacksmith shop it was to see McCarthy out in the fields filling in the holes our training had done. I smiled sheepishly at everyone. They smirked.

"Yo, Dude!" Mackenzie hollered. McCarthy looked up, saw it was us, and came over.

"What's up, guys?" McCarthy asked. I looked at him. He was buff. And sweaty. He glinted. I wondered how he had gotten into such shape.

"Not too much. Just here for practice again," Mackenzie replied.

"OK. Only…can you atleast _try_ not to disembowel my field? It took me most of this morning to fix it!" McCarthy said. "Oh! And before I forget, I got something for you two," he pointed at Amy and I.

"Did you provoke him?" Nich asked me.

"No!"

McCarthy reemerged from his shop and handed Amy and I a small, six-inch dagger in a black leather sheath.

"Ooh, shiny!!" Morgan chirped when I slid it out of the sheath to look at it. It was made of the same design as my sword was. Nich grabbed Morgan's arms and dragged her out onto the field to keep her from accidentally committing seppuku right then and there. Everyone else but Mackenzie followed. She stayed behind and explained how the sheaths would be strapped to our ankles for an emergency in battle. Then we went out onto the field.

"Everyone, line up!" Mackenzie barked. We ended our casual conversations and lined up accordingly in front of our teacher. I listened especially hard and tried to look alert.

"God, Katie. Could you look any more robotic?" Geoff asked me. I scowled at him and slouched, my hands on my hips.

"There is not much time before our journey begins and I want to teach you a move you can use if you encounter a ghost. It won't do crap to a human, but we're bound to encounter ghosts sometime or other," Mackenzie was walking back and forth in front of us.

_'Ghosts?!'_

"It's called the Shadow Blade. It requires two people to do it. One person fuses their chi with the other person's chi into the one sword. The sword can then cut down a demon. It should have a purple light to it, so it should be fairly easy to see in the dark. Pair up,"

I stared at Geoff and marched up to him. I hooked my arm through his. He looked down bizarrely at me, but I glared at him.

"Hey, Katie! What about me?" Amy asked indignantly when she saw that I was not going to pair up with her.

"Sorry, Amy. I've got some…unfinished business to attend to," I explained. Amy snorted.

"Whatev," she said and paired up with Hanna. That left Mackenzie and Jakob together. I wished Jakob good luck as Mackenzie explained the instructions one more time.

"What's your deal?" Geoff asked me as we unsheathed our swords.

"I want to battle you again," I told him, holding my sword in front of him, ready for us to drain our chi in unison.

"Ha! You crazy?! You nearly killed me last time!" Geoff scoffed.

"Chicken Shit," I called him.

"What did you just call me…?"

"Chicken Shit," I told him.

"OK, little miss confident. You're on. Now let's do this thing," Geoff said. We shook hands. "And to make it more interesting, let's make a bet! If I win, you have to…," Geoff whispered something in my ear and my face flushed.

"All right! And _when_ I win, you gotta do…," I whispered something to him. He blushed.

"OK…,"


	15. Geoff is Beneath Me! literally

**Group 3:**  
**Carolyn**: BWAHAHAHHA! You cops suck ass! NAHNAHNAHNAHNAH!  
**Cops**: _throw fire bombs at Amy  
_**Rin**: WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!  
**Carolyn**: Can it Rin! Be a freaking woman about it and fire this shot gun at them. _tosses it to Rin  
_**Nich**: You're giving a child a weapon?  
**Rin**: _evil glare at Nich; waves weapon threateningly_  
**Nich**: _sweatdrop_ Never mind.  
**Rin**: …….MUAHAHHAHAH! _fires the shot gun off at the cops  
_**Cops**: GAH! _skid off the road, all but one_  
  
**Group 1:**  
**InuYasha**: Katie! Pull the car up next to that cop car. I can help.  
**Katie**: No problem. _pulls up next to them_  
**InuYasha**: WIND SCAR! _performs the wind scar on their car  
_**All**: O.O A little much?  
**InuYasha**: So?  
**Cops**: _blow up_  
**Inuyasha**: Haha! XP Y'all suck! _gives them the finger as Katie speeds off to catch up with the others _

**RAC (Random Author Comment)**: Hey! I'll just be making regular weekly updates for now, OK? Make you happy? Then review, you 173 people!!

"HEY! I don't see any progress over there!" Mackenzie snapped. I flinched and counted down from three. At 'one' Geoff and I put a small amount of our chi into my sword. I spun around for show, and flung my sword hard to the left. A light purple light shot out of the end of it and went through some trees before disappearing.

"That was very good, Katie!" Mackenzie chirped, congratulating us. 'The others have also done it. Since you've all done so well, I'll teach you another super-power move at the end of today. For now, go about your normal training methods,"

"OK, Geoff. You ready?" I asked. Geoff nodded.

"Let's do this thingy!"

I ogled him.

"Whaaat?"

"HEY EVERYBODY!!" I bellowed. They all looked at me. "We're sparring in about five minutes, so just wait," I announced, pointing to Geoff and I. "We also have a bet arranged! If Geoff loses he's gotta…," I went around to them and whispered. Geoff did the same to them about what I had to do if I lost the bet.

"Oi," Jakob sighed. I wasn't giving up.

"I think you'll kick his butt," Amy said. "Then I get to see what you make him do!" I laughed.

I started to stretch a bit. I glanced around. Geoff disappeared, as had Nich.

"Where are Shorty and Nich?" I asked.

Morgan looked at me while she stretched and frowned. "He doesn't like that name, you know."

"Who? Geoff" I asked, surprised. _'He must be doing his prep in private,'_

"No dimwit; Geoffrey loves the little pet name you gave him," she said, matter-of-factly.

"'Pet name' ?" I repeated.

"A nickname you give your _booooyfriend,_" she sneered.

I scowled. "First of all, I know what you mean. Second of all, he is not my boyfriend, just like Nich isn't yours," I said. I coughed, "Youlikehim."

She frowned angrily. "Do not," she said. "Geoff's taller than you, you know. He doesn't appreciate being called short."

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed when he screamed at the top of his lungs at me a while back," I commented sarcastically. Morgan sighed. I grabbed my leg and pulled it all the way up from the back, making it go higher than my head. I always was flexible.

Geoff suddenly reappeared with Nich, "Hello-" he began, but stopped. "Whoa. What are you, a pretzel?"

"More or less," I said, shrugging.

"You're very flexible," Hanna said.

"Thank you," I said, smiling.

"Geoff's fighting Katie again, and Mackenzie's being nice to us," Amy said aloud. "Why am I suddenly reminded of the Twilight Zone?"

Jakob chuckled. "Next Katie'll stop being gay."

"That's never gonna happen!" I said. "I will always be gay. My motto is…well, I don't have a motto, but if I did, it would be something very smart,"

"Then you don't want to not be gay?" Nich asked mischievously.

"Nope," I said. "It's too much fun."

"Hey guys, we're about to start!" Geoff announced.

"Ooh, looks like a good fight, Jakie," Hanna said, going from somber and serious to happy and cheerful in one moment. Jakob nodded slowly, and everyone but Geoff, me, and Amy backed off. Amy got in the middle of Geoff and I who had backed away form each other by fifty feet.

"Okay!" Amy yelled in between Geoff and me... She must've been the referee. "I want a clean fight here! Ready"

"Hey Mackenzie, who do you think'll win?" Hanna asked curiously.

"I don't know…Maybe Geoffrey. But I'm rooting for the both of them."

"Steady"

"Well, I think Katie'll win, but whoever wins, I'll be fine."

"GO!!!!"

My friends watched my rematch intently. I stood my ground while Geoff charged at me. All at once I realized a way I could win. I lifted my arms. Geoff skidded to a halt, probably thinking I was going to be using Shock Bomb. But I wasn't going to do that, no sir.

I fell to the ground and just laid there humming a little tune.

"What are you doing?" asked Geoff, bewildered.

"Taking a nap," I replied, as if it was the most common thing in the world.

"Katie, must you be so decompressed?!" Mackenzie yelled angrily.

"I'm not answering that 'til I have a lawyer and a dictionary present," I said.

Nich and Jakob just stared at me. I sighed.

"I mean, why are you always so relaxed?" Mackenzie asked.

"It really doesn't matter who I fight," I said, feigning haughtiness.

Hanna glared. "Give us something to watch here, Kate!"

All at once Geoff's surprise wore off into anger. "You're not even taking me seriously, are you?!" he yelled.

Amy sighed. If only Geoff knew. This was my strategy. I'd get my foe all riled up. They'd use most of their energy in the first five minutes, and not even land a punch, since I hoped I was so fast on my feet. Then I'd get them down in two or three good hits.

Geoff charged, really bolting towards me. I yawned lazily. As he approached, I sat up, looking drowsy. He got closer. I stood up, stretching. And Geoff was about two feet awayI moved to the right in a blur, and grabbed Geoff from his ponytail. He fell to his back, dropping his sword.

"Come now, Geoffy; don't go easy on me," I said. "I took a nap so you would hit me with everything you had."

'_Oh_,' Amy thought, surprised. '_I thought she was just gonna get him pissed.'_

Geoffrey smirked. "You don't have to worry about me going easy on you." He quickly wrapped his legs around mine and almost made me plummet to the ground. I lost my sword and it clattered away, but stopped myself with my hand and flipped out of his reach. He jumped up.

"It's a fight now!" I said enthusiastically. "But there's no way you'll winI'll never do your bet."

"I'm not going to lose; you are. And you'll _have_ to wear it." I glared at him.

'_Okay, I now know if Katie loses, she has to wear something,' _Amy thought, '_but what? I hope it's nothing perverted... Though it probably is...'_

Again, Geoff charged. I stood still, calmly but seriously. He flew a flurry of punches at me, some I couldn't even see, but I dodged each one. I stared intently.

"This is _cool!_" Sarah squealed.

Amy walked back to the others. "Hey guys!" she said. "This is a great fight. Kinda ironic that these two are the ones fighting. I mean, they're the perfect couple." She kinda smiled the way Cupid would smile after he shot someone. And it wasn't fake. She was really smiling. Hanna gaped.

"Amy, are you feeling okay?" Nich asked uncertainly.

Hanna held up four fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Amy giggled. "What are you doing?"

"Answer!" Hanna commanded.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Four."

She turned to Jakob. "I still think we're in the Twilight Zone."

Sarah yawned. "Guys, can't we call it a tie?"

"No! This is way too much fun!" I said, dodging another attack from Geoff, but missing him when I tried to kick.

"And I don't want to lose!" came Geoffrey's voice, dodging my kick but missing me when he punched.

"They're too evenly matched!" Jakob sighed. "It's been a whole thirty minutes."

"Actually, it's been around thirty-one minutes and forty-two seconds," Amy said matter-of-factly.

"They're not even tired," Nich commented.

"I wish something would just happen" Sarah muttered.

Wish granted.

**_BOOOOOM!!!!!_**

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" I stood over Geoffrey's body which was writhing beneath my small foot. I had used the aura shot (at a lesser degree) and sent him flying. Then I had begun to tower triumphantly over him, all the while squishing him into the dust. Mackenzie stormed over and pulled my foot off him.

"Katie! We said no hurting! Bad Katie! _Bad!_" Mackenzie snapped, thwacking me. I growled and, laughing, helped Geoff up. But he ignored my hand and grabbed Jakob's instead. Men. I grinned evilly at Geoff.

"So. When's he gotta do his bet?" Amy asked me.

"In the morning. The queen's never at the lunch or dinner banquets nowadays," I replied, stretching my arms above my head. "Nice fight by the way, Geoff."

"Whatever," Geoff snarled. I flicked him.

The next morning I woke up bright and early feeling, well…normal, which was a very rare occasion for me. I dressed and hurried down to the Dining Hall. I took the same seat I had as yesterday and began to eat.

"Anyone see Geoff?" I asked, looking around for the bandit leader. He was not there.

"Nope. He ain't coming down probably because of that bet you made with him," Nich pointed out. I smiled an evil smile.

"Speaking of which, what is it?" Amy asked me, leaning over the table.

"I ain't reminding any of you. It's going to be hilarious though," I said. I took a bite of toast. "Be right back," I got up and explained that I was going to go get Geoff out of his bedroom, which was the likeliest place he would be hiding from me.

"Whatev!" Morgan sighed and went back to eating.

"Hmph! The nerve of some people!" I mumbled to myself, running out of the Hall. I stormed up some stairs and around corners until I got outside his bedroom door. I barged in, sending the door flying against the back wall. "WHAT'S UP?!" I hollered. No response. I looked around. Geoff wasn't there. I wondered where he was.

"Geoff?" I called, looking around the room.

The bandit leader was sitting on his bed, glaring at me in the doorway. I smirked and said, "Hey, Geoff. Being nice and all here, and since I don't _really_ want the peeps of River Belle Path to remember you as being a pussy…I've decided you don't have to jump on the breakfast table today in a pink dress and do the can-can,"

"AWESOME! YOU ROCK!!" Geoff cheered and threw his arms around me and spun. I was sick and woozy when he put me down.

I took his hand. "C'mon Lover Boy. I'm missing breakfast 'cause o' you," I snapped. I dragged him down to the Entrance Hall where our other friends were already semi-impatiently awaiting our return.

"Weren't you going to do Katie's dare?" Sarah asked curiously, eyeing the way I held Geoff's hand. I threw it down.

"Naw. I'm such a nice person, I decided he didn't have to do it." I told them. Mackenzie scoffed.

"Bah. A _real_ man never backs away from a challenge!"

"Whatever, you old hag!" Geoff snapped. He and Mackenzie bickered for a while before I asked Mackenzie what she had in store for us, that day.

"Oh, I dunno. The usual, I guess. Y'know, thirty laps, hell, the works."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sick and tired of this training crap. That's all we've been doing! Why don't we go ride horses somewhere, or something?!" Geoff snapped irritably. (A/N: Hey, now that you mention it…XD)

Mackenzie seemed to consider this thought. Then she sighed. Everyone else cheered and took off for McCarthy's smithy. I burst through the front flap and cried.

"We needs to borrow your horsies!" I cried. McCarthy jumped and nearly dropped a burning-hot piece of metal on his foot.

"Dammit, Katie! Get the hell out of here! I'm busy right now! Get Mackenzie to help you!" McCarthy snarled.

I screeched and bolted back outside, nearly knocking Sarah over.

"What's the deal, Katie?!" she snapped.

"McCarthy said we have to get Mackenzie to help us. He's 'busy'," I explained, doing the finger quotes.

"Whatever. C'mon," Mackenzie told us. We all followed Mackenzie into the barn around the back of the shop. The familiar smell had not changed. I longed to see Moon Star again.

"I call Moon Star!" I cried, running over to a white and grey spotted horse. Moon Star whinnied when she saw me and began fidgeting. I wrapped my arms around her neck over the door of her stall.

"Fire Flower's mine!" Amy announced, latching onto the red horse in the far corner of the barn. Everyone rolled their eyes and went to the horse they wanted. The others busied themselves with finding blankets to place on their horses' backs for a second. When I had a striped green and grey blanket across Moon Star's back, I placed a bucket on the ground next to her and used it to hop onto her back. Ahh, this was great!

"Hurry up, Katie!" Mackenzie called, waving me out of the barn. I jumped and kicked open the door. I led Moon Star out into the light where the others were grouped together, surrounding Mackenzie. I wondered what was going on.

"What's up?" I asked curiously, eyeing the arrangement.

"Well, I thought that since we're not going to be training any more today, that we could train riding horses over obstacles and such. Fighting on horses would be helpful as well," Mackenzie said. The others grimaced. So much for that day off.

"Oh, OK…," I trailed off.

"Okie dokie, first things first. Fighting combat on running horses. Go back with the person you were with recently and charge. The first person to fall off their horse loses," Mackenzie said. Everyone paired back up with their partners and spaced out unevenly. I was kind of afraid to face Geoff again after I had just defeated him. But I needed to learn to overcome my fears. I was going to war, after all.

"Ha. You're going down!" Geoff told me, grinning evilly. Moon Star stamped beneath me. I calmed her with my hand. She quieted down, but still fidgeted.

"Go!" I cried. I charged at Geoff, my sword in its holster still. Geoff was riding with one hand intwined in his horse's mane, the other gripping his sword. When we came within striking zone, he jabbed at me. I ducked and got a mouthful of hair. I spat it out and turned my horse around to face Geoff again.

"Aura Shot!" I cried, forming my hands and firing off my chi at Geoff. He dodged my attack. It went awry and nearly knocked Morgan off her mount.

"HEY! Watch it!" She bellowed.

"Aura! Aura! Aura! Aura Shot!" I cried repeatedly, shooting off little amounts of chi at Geoff as we barreled down on each other again. This time, his sword nicked my shoulder, and since I wasn't wearing my armor, it cut into my shoulder. I could feel blood trickle down into my shirt and stain it.

"Damn you!" I cried, gripping my arm painfully tight in my right hand. "I thought you weren't going to kill me!"

"As if I was actually going to let you get away with yesterday!" Geoff snapped, taking another swipe at me. I felt a piece of my hair go down my shirt. I was worried.

"Peh. No mercy then, huh? I won't kill you, but I'll make you feel pain!" I snarled, whipping Moon Star around and pulling out my sword. We ran at each other and locked blades. It was hard to sit upright without falling off the horse. Geoff wielded a blade well, his ponytail whipping around his face. He almost cut my bad leg, but I blocked it. Moon Star was not happy with being in this kind of battle. She nearly bucked me off at one point.

"Just a bit more," I cooed in her ear. She quieted down just long enough for me to reach up, and with the flat side of my blade, smack Geoffrey as hard as I could muster with one hand. The unexpected move took him by surprise. His face was bright red and a trickle of blood from the end of the sword appeared. He fell off backwards of his horse, which ran away from me as I approached. I hopped off Moon Star.

"Geoff, are you OK?" I asked quietly, poking Geoff. It looked like he was in shock. I was too. Who knew I could knock a one-sixty pound guy off a horse with one hand?! Despite this thought, I decided not to gloat. I would save that for later. For now, I kept on poking Geoff until he blinked and sat up, gasping for air.

"You forgot to _breathe?_" I asked surprisingly, giving Geoff my stupid look. I helped the man stand. His six-four height blocked the sunlight from my eyes, so as I looked up at him, I didn't squint. A bit of his blood dripped onto my face and I sucked in a deep breath.


	16. Final Banquet in the Golden Hall

_at the haunted house…I don't know why. It's not Halloween, but I love these places…:sweat:  
_  
**Hanna**: We're finally here.  
**Amy**: Where's Sarah?  
**Nich**: we'd rather not talk about that…Where's Kikyo?  
**Sr**: A smudge in the road.  
**Christina**: Y'all ran her over? Freakin sweet!  
**Peter** **Griffin** **from** **Family** **Guy**: Hey! That's my line!  
**Christina**: …..No it isn't?  
**PG**: Oh well then…_pokes her_ Bouncy…  
**Bankotsu**: -- _uses Banryoo and kicks the crap out of Peter _  
**Christina**:  
**All**: _go into the haunted house_  
**Katie**: _clinging to InuYasha_ I hate these freaking places.  
**InuYasha**: _sticks his tongue out at Inuyasha_  
**Inuyasha**: _gives him the finger_  
**Mackentosh**: I wanna do that. _gives him the finger as well_  
**Katie**: SIT!  
_both Inus and Mackentosh hit the ground_  
**Mackentosh**: Bitch.  
**Katie**: gives her the finger and walks off  
**Mackentosh**: HEY! Godamnit! Nobody can fucking sit me! &# $!!!!!!!!  
**Nich**: Sit! Bad fox!  
**Mackentosh**: _growling_  
**InuYasha**: _walks off after Katie _

**RAC: **I do not own Josh Groban's song that is further listed in this UBER-LONG chapter. (This is so I can take a few extra days off. :sweat: LoL.) 

"ICK!" I cried, jumping around and swiping it off. Geoff chuckled.

"Damn, girl. You're a helluva lot stronger than I thought you would be," he said, patting both my shoulders. I patted his arms.

"Ditto dude. You got a great fighting spirit," I told him, showing him the stinging wound on my shoulder.

"Eheh. Sorry 'bout that," Geoff looked a little embarrassed and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Let me fix that up for you,"

"OK. You _do_ owe me at least _that_ much," I said smugly. I looked down at my shoulder. The shirt was definitely ruined. The sticky blood was already congealing as we made our way, together, to McCarthy's shop.

"Yo, Dude!" Geoff called, knocking on the stone beside the curtain flap.

McCarthy leapt out with a burning hot piece of metal.

"KATIE, I SWEA-Oh, hey, Geoffrey. What'cha need?" he asked.

I cocked an eyebrow. Geoff got along pretty well with the guy, I'll admit.

"You got some bandages? The little lady got hurt," Geoff said, dragging me forward. He rolled up my shirt sleeve and showed McCarthy the wound.

"Sure thing," McCarthy said. He went inside his shop and came back out with a roll of white gauze. "Sure got yourself banged up, Kate."

"I know. Geoff's really mean," I whined in a mock-baby voice, grinning at Geoff. "Owch!" McCarthy had put some sort of herbal medicine on the wound before quickly binding it tightly in the white bandages.

"Geoff did this to you?" McCarthy asked.

"Yup. Sure did. I did that to him, though," I told him, pointing at the cut on Geoff's cheek. You could still see the shape of my sword on his cheek. I felt kinda bad.

"Damn. You guys had better be more careful next time. Otherwise, there won't be anything left of you!" McCarthy said. The three of us laughed. Then Mackenzie rode up.

"What happened to you?" she asked me. I explained and she thwacked Geoffrey.

"Gaw! Geoff. I said this was _training!_ Not a battle ground!" Mackenzie snarled. Geoffrey cursed and let McCarthy place a bandage on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, OK?! I already apologized to Katie. And besides, she whacked me in the face with her sword!" Geoffrey snapped.

Mackenzie ignored this, but I coulda sworn that as she rode back to the others, that she gave me the thumbs-up sign.

"Take care of yourselves now. I wish you the best of luck on your trip!" McCarthy called, waving us off. Geoff and I exchanged glances, and then proceeded to get back onto our horses. Geoff caught his horse dwindling near the brink of the woods, and I called Moon Star to me. I got back up on her back and waited for Geoff. When he was in front of me, we started the same fight as before. This time, he'd decided to throw some chi moves into the mix. It was hard work for me, dodging his fast attacks, but then I noticed something. He kept using the same procedure, strike, punch-punch-punch, slash, Soul Shot.

_'An opening!_' I thought excitedly. I waited for Geoff to run at me so I could see if my idea would work. He was about to use his punch attack, and I would counter with a jab at his gut. He was about five feet form me when I tried this, but something went wrong. My sword was right, but it got lodged into the middle of Geoff's shield which he had whipped from behind him. One of his fists landed hard on my shoulder and I toppled from Moon Star. Geoff rode off with my sword bouncing in his shield. I took the blunt of my fall on my neck and right shoulder blade. None the less, I was winded and couldn't move my head. I did not feel any broken bones, but O-M-G! THE PAAAAAAIN!!

Geoff rode back to me and jumped off his horse. This time, ti was his turn to lean down and poke _me._

"You a'ight Short Stack?" he asked casually, wrenching my sword from his shield and holding it out to me.

I leapt up.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SOMEONE WHO CAN WEAR IN ITSY BITSY, TEENY WEENY, YELLOW POLKA-DOT BIKINI?!" I roared. Geoff jumped and dropped my sword, which flew through the air and landed three feet behind him.

"What's a bikini?" he asked me.

"I…uh…it's erm…Never mind!" I said, turning pink. "Good shot, by the way," I told him, helping him stand up. I went to retrieve my sword. When I came back, I opened my mouth to say-,

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But remember. You're still a loser," I told him.

"Yup. And what's the can-can?" Geoff asked me. I sighed and pulled him close to me. I put his arm around my shoulder and put my left hand around his waist, being unable to reach his other shoulder without enduring pain.

"Now do as I do," I told him. I kicked out with first my right leg, then my left leg. When Geoffrey seemed able to go through the motions, I started humming the can-can song and we started hopping on our legs and spinning. I limped slightly on my right though.

"What're you guys _doing?_" Hanna asked, coming over with Jakob and eyeballing me and Geoff who stopped with our hands still around each other. I screamed and ran around in circles.

"It's not what it looks like! I SWEAR IT!!" Geoff howled, running around in circles. Hanna eyed us skeptically as we ran.

"EEK! RAPE! RAAAAAPE!!" I cried. Then Geoff and I collided and we both lay on our backs, stars spinning around our heads.

"You freaks. Calm down," Hanna grunted and got off her horse. She helped me up. I yelped. My shoulder had been pulled on.

"What happened to you?" Jakob asked me.

"Geoff tried committing homicide," I said.

"What's homicide?" Jakob asked me.

I hit my forehead.

"Why me? It's a homonym for the word, 'murder,'" I explained.

"What's a homonym?"

"Oi. C'mere, Jakie, ma boy," Jakob got off his horse and followed me. I led him into the outskirts of the woods, behind this tall oak tree.

"HEY, KATIE! DON'T _RAPE_ HIM!" Amy cackled.

"So, what's a 'homienime?'?" Jake asked me.

I pulled Jakob's ear to my mouth and whispered something.

Jakob suddenly ran out of the wood like a maniac, I walked out calmly.

"Argh! My young mind; it has been corrupted!" he moaned. I ran too. I didn't want to look conspicuous.

"What did you tell him?" Geoffrey asked me, watching the older guy run around sobbing.

"I told him all about grammar," I said simply.

"Something you suck royally at," Hanna pointed out.

"Touché!" I said, doing that finger thing. (A/N: LMAO. If only you could see all the green marks! XD)

"Group meeting, everyone!" Sarah cried. I got back on my horse and Jakob, having calmed down, and walked his mount over to our group.

"Put away your horses first," Mackenzie said. We did as we were told and came back. Mackenzie promptly sat down on the grass and the others formed a semi-circle around her. Mackenzie looked as grave as I had ever seen her.

"Now. I hate being the bearer of bad news, but tomorrow is the day we set out on our journey together," she began. I looked around the half-circle. It was like everyone had simultaneously stiffened. "It will be a long journey. A hard journey. A deadly journey. The odds of every one of us coming back alive and unharmed are one in a million," here, Mackenzie stopped, and caught each of our eyes in turn before continuing. "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! There will come a time when the courage of this fair city fails. There will be a time when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship! But it is not this day! This day, we grow strong and fearless! We will move stealthily among the enemy as their own if must be. We shall split up and if hatred grows among us, have mercy on no one enemy!" Mackenzie stood up. At the same time, so did everyone else.

I felt a round of electricity move through us all. I stood crooked, but proud and tall among my fellows. I clenched and unclenched my hands. Then Mackenzie withdrew her sword from its sheath, and we all followed her example.

"To glory!" Morgan cried, putting her sword high in the middle.

"For death!" Jakob added, clanging his weapon against hers.

"For the people!" I said, adding my sword.

"Freedom!" Hanna said.

"Friendship!" Nich said fiercely.

"To ruin!" Geoffrey yelled.

"Life!" Amy said.

"To a new dawn!" Sarah cried. Mackenzie looked near-tears at our loyalty. We all moved our sword mass to her and she thrust hers in as well.

"For love…!" She hollered. We all then brought our swords back until we formed a circle of people holding swords straight up into the sky. It strangely moved me. A fellowship, eh? I heard a lot of LOTR references there too, I noted.

Mackenzie pulled out a wooden flute and began to slowly start a sad march to the castle for dinner. The sun beat wearily down on our heads and we reeked, but none cared. We were a newly christened family. We held our swords aloft as we entered the outer regions of the city with Mackenzie playing a sad melody on her flute. Apparently, it was a tune the others knew, and they began to sing softly as we marched.

"I can't understand it…Searching for an answer's met with a darker day… And we've been handed these moments forever…But I'm reassured there's another way," Nich began mournfully.

"You don't have to close your eyes! There will be love again…! Ease the pain to realize all that love can be…" Morgan hummed.

By now, the villagers also realized that _these_ were the soldiers that were being sent to war tomorrow. The men hung their hats and the women removed their bonnets. Farmers moved their animals out of our way, and children were kept close. All was silent. There was no sound but the beautiful flute and the singing of the fellowship. Flowers were tossed before our feet. I hung my head and fought back tears.

"Forced upon by time again! Take a step and take my hand and don't let it go! Never let go…!" Sarah sang.

"Broken…Once connected…We were so strong and so blessed in a simple way…So don't let me go and be alone!" Jakob said. He did not sing, but the emotion in his voice was obvious.

"Turn your head up to the sky! There is nothing here but me! Face the truth and realize all that we can truly be…," Hanna chided.

"Torn apart by rage and fear! Hold on to what brought you here! Don't let it go! Never let go!" Morgan hummed. And that was the end of the song. Even after Mackenzie had stopped playing, we stayed in our line formation and were quiet. Oh so quiet. The quiet was so silent that it felt like I was encased in a tiny glass box, not able to hear anything but the sound of my own breathing. The villagers were still quiet and silently paying their respects to us. It was unbelievable. I could feel the hope radiating off them for our safe return. Who knew how long we would be away?

By the time we got to the end of the village, and started walking up the dirt path to the castle, the sun had lessened up slightly, and we began to talk again.

"What amazing people," I muttered to myself.

"Indeed. They are the heart and soul of this city. Without them, there would be nothing for us here," Mackenzie said. I saw the others nod grimly.

"What was that song you played? It was so sad," I said.

"It was the song of battle," Morgan said. "It's supposed to be sad."

"It was very beautiful," Geoffrey said.

"You all sing very wonderfully," Amy told them.

"Thanks," everyone replied.

"Where'd you learn to play a flute?" I asked Mackenzie as we stepped onto the cobbles of the palace courtyard.

"McCarthy taught me. There's a lot about him that you don't know, Katie," Mackenzie replied. I smirked.

"Maybe I'll learn to play," I said.

"Yeah. You could use the exercise," Geoff said sarcastically. I chased him all the way into the palace where I pounded him with my scabbard then waited for the others.

"Let's meet down here in a half hour. Oh, and Katie?" Mackenzie asked.

"Ayup?" I asked.

"Everyone, this is likely our last night of eating bountifully and resting peacefully. Be sure and pack and dress formally. Just for this occasion. Katie! The showers are non-existent. We use buckets of hot water. The restroom's over there," Mackenzie pointed next to a staircase where there was a brown door. I nodded my thanks and set off together with Amy.

"What a way to end the day!" Amy yawned and opened to door to our room. We lit our oil lamps and began looking through the closet for something presentable to wear that was not gender-bent.

I pulled out a long deep-red dress with long sleeves. It was long enough to hide my feet with enough fabric to spare, so I decided on wearing my tennis shoes which were practically rotting underneath my bed. I placed the dress on said bed and dug around underneath it, grabbing the grubby pair of shoes and emerging, covered in soot. Amy picked out a dark-green dress with long sagging sleeves and a not-puffy skirt. It would flow gracefully over her body and rest somewhere around her ankles.

"Do you think there's a brush somewhere?" I asked Amy, aware that I had not brushed my hair in days. I also realized I had no mirror.

"Here's one," Amy announced, tossing me a silver brush with spiny tips. I poked it to see if it was alive, but it didn't move, and my suspicions settled.

"Let's go," I said. I picked up the dress and my shoes, along with the brush and led the way back through the Entrance Hall and to the bathroom door. I opened it. It was strange inside. There were no stalls separating the tubs which were just enormous buckets that sat beneath a tube which would release hot water.

Amy and I took our time washing ourselves. It was like heaven! I scrubbed myself extremely hard with the soap. Amy, who was in the tub next to mine observed this with interest.

"Dang, girl. You're gonna rub your skin right off!" she told me.

"Stuff it!" I snapped, dipping into the suds. When I came back up, Amy was also carefully making sure that all the dirt came off her skin. I reached for a rag and coated it in soap before reaching out and scrubbing her back painfully hard.

"HIYAAAAH!! SUPER POWER SCRUB!!" I cackled.

"DAMMIT, KATIE! STOP IT!" Amy snarled, shoving me back in my own tub.

Amy and I dressed after washing our hair. Then we helped eachother do our hair. Amy did my hair in a bun with the access hair pointing up and jutting off to the right. It looked like Risa Hawkeye's off Full Metal Alchemist. I did Amy's in a French twist. It was a first time for me, seeing Amy's hair fully off her back. I smiled and we put our clothes back in our room, passing the other girls and guys on our way up. By the time we came down, they were all dressed formally and looking sober.

I sniffed my pits.

"Smell good! Smell good!" I chirruped happily, bounding around a corner into view.

"You're a freak," Geoffrey told me.

"Nice braid, Jerk," I said, yanking on Geoff's carefully done braid.

"Ow!"

"Don't brawl out here, you two! C'mon!" Sarah snarled, putting herself between us and frog-marching into the Dining Hall. It was candle-lit of course, only there was no mindless chatter as normally. It was dimmer than usual, and much quieter. As we entered, there was a round of applause. When we were about to take our usual seats, the queen called down to us.

"You sit up here tonight," she called, gesturing to the large table, the middle of which she sat in. I glared at her. I still disliked her.

We made our way to the table, amidst more applause and took seats. I made sure I got the end seat. Amy sat beside me. Then the queen stood up and stopped all the applause.

"Tonight we applaud our warriors who are going off on a special mission to protect our country tomorrow. They will be gone for a long while, and we will miss them terribly, but I am positive they will all return safely," I noticed some skeptics in the crowd. "Normally, this would be a sad occasion, but tonight, we feast!" Queen Goldberry clapped her hands and immediately, all food-exits out of the Hall burst open to long lines of kitchen-folk, each carrying a tray of food. The food was looking much more edible tonight than I was use to. There was roast turkey and duck, vegetables I saw as carrots and peas and beans, and there was fruit! I looked down the table at Mackenzie to see if it would be polite to start eating. She caught my eye and shook her head, so I waited until the waiters had all filed out of the hall and chatter broke out in little areas. I chewed thoughtfully, not speaking. I desperately hoped that, like the queen had said, that we all _would_ return safely, and whole.

**RAC: **So..here we are! Thank you for sticking with me THIS LONG you guys! I love you all. This story is going to be a long one, being right up there with _'Supremacy'_ by ShiningRiku..." "...The quest is right around the corner! How am I doing so far?


	17. It Hurts to Say Goodbye

**RAC: **I am soooooo sorry for not updating yesterday, you guys! I know this is rather unexpected, but my parents made me go to TN with them for a whole week. (I brought 40 volumes of manga, so it was a good SIX HOUR RIDE down there. LoL. XD Hope you understand!!)

**Dude** **with** **a** **chainsaw**: _pops out at Christina and Katie  
_**Christina**: …..  
**Katie**: …..  
**DWC**: _revs it up  
_**Christina** **& Katie**: _pull out a chainsaw of their own_  
**Katie**: Oh darn. _her chainsaw is out of oil_  
**Christina**: Shit. _so is hers_  
**DWC**: MUAHAHAHHA! _waves his in their face_  
**Christina & Katie:** …..AHHHHHHHH! _run away  
_**Katie**: _gets cornered_ Hi! I'm Katie! Do you like popcorn?  
**DWC**: _shreds up her popcorn  
_**Katie**: _sniffling and all teary eyed_ YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED MY POPCORN!!!!  
**DWC**: …..Whatever. I get 50 bucks if I kill you.  
I have 20 of that?  
**DWC**: _sweatdrop_ …..  
**Katie**: _screaming her head off_ RAPE!!!!!  
**DWC**: O.o  
**InuYasha**: -- GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!!! _punches DWC and scoops up Katie, running away _

There was an awkward silence between my fellow compatriots and myself as we ate and talked about the battles we predicted we would have. We exchanged jokes and poked fun at each other, but I could tell that something had stirred within all of us. It was fear, and it gripped my insides painfully tight and would not let go. After a piece of chicken and turkey, I pushed my plate away from me and didn't eat again, sor fear of throwing up.

"What's up, Katie? If you don't eat up, you can't build your strength," Amy said, looking at me.

"Naw, I'm just not hungry," I told her. "Don't worry about me. You should worry about yourself. Eat!"

Amy nodded and began to munch although I noticed with slight reluctance.

Queen Goldberry stood up again, calling for silence.

"I humbly thank you all for partaking of this delicious feast in honor of our noble warriors. It was a most delicious meal, don't you agree?" she looked around the room as if hoping everyone would agree.

"Hear! Hear!" the people echoed.

"Tomorrow our warriors leave. Let us send them off with a proper farewell. Pray for them tonight. For their safe and honorable return," the queen said. After she was done she, and everyone else except for the fellowship bowed their heads in prayer. Then a couple chefs began playing a tune on more wooden flutes while we were ushered out of the Hall by the queen herself. There was applause once more, and we received many pats on the backs. I felt like a celebrity! We were only left alone after we left the Hall and stood in the Entrance.

"Well, this is good night, then," Mackenzie said awkwardly.

"Yup, I guess…I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" I said.

"Yeah, tomorrow, g'night, then," Hanna said. We all embraced one another as the rest of the people filed from the Dining Hall. I walked with Amy down a side corridor, up three flights of stairs, around a corner, and past the portrait of Mackenzie. She threw open the door and we walked in. I looked on my bed. There was a bunch of flowers clumsily put together into a bouquet lying tenderly on my pillow.

"Amy?" I asked, turning around to see if she'd gotten one as well. She had.

"Who do you think sent them?" She asked me.

"Who knows? But it's great to know we're loved!" I sighed dreamily and set the bouquet on my side table. I lit my lamp and changed out of the clothes and undid my hair. Once in my white undergarment I faced another problem.

"What're we supposed to pack our clothes in?" I asked.

"Um…Our trunks are too large…Check under your bed," Amy replied, dropping to her knees and groping under her bed. "Ah ha!" she pulled out a backpack-type thing that was made of leather, and had two compartments. One was a tied-up main section, and the second was a small pouch on the front of the pack. It looked like it would hold about three days worth of clothes and some food. I had no clue.

"This…this sucks…," I said, holding the pack to the light as if it would magically make it grow larger.

"Hey, at least it's less to carry!" Amy soothed me. It didn't work.

"We got two caravans!" I whined, tossing the small pack onto my bed.

"Oh, well. Just make the best of it," Amy told me, making her way toward the closet. She gazed at the mountains of clothes, wondering which to pack. I pulled down some baggy brown, black, and grey trousers and three shirts. I tucked all these into my pack. Thank god they all fit, but just barely. I could hardly get the bag tied again. I also put the brush in the front part and tied my tennis shoes to one of the straps. It was then I noticed four long straps dangling off the top of the bag.

"Know what these are for?" I asked, showing Amy the strings.

"Ooh! That's for a sleeping bag!" Amy explained.

"Yeah, except for the fact that there _are_ no such things as sleeping bags in this era," I pointed out. Amy slouched. "We'll have to use blankets." I turned around and rolled up my comforter as tightly as I could. I sat down on the bed and, holding the pack between my legs, tied it to the top. I put all this on. Entirely, it weighed about fifteen pounds, and the bag proved to be a relaxing headrest if my neck hurt.

"It works," I said aloud, unraveling my comforter so I could use it one last time in a bed.

"Are you sure we're going to be allowed to take these with us, though?" Amy asked me skeptically, placing her pack on the ground beside her bed and jumping into said bed.

"Oh well. Bag Lady'll understand," I nodded sternly and blew out both lamps in one breath. "Now; who's gonna bring that blood and pain?"

"We are!" Amy chided in a sing-song voice.

"Haha, good night, Friend," I yawned, and turned over, but I did not go to sleep for another twenty minutes.

The next day, I woke up bright and early. Amy wasn't even awake yet. So I busied myself by going through the closet and making sure that I had picked out the clothes that I wanted. I lifted my trunk lid and pulled out my armor. I knew that it wouldn't fit in my pack, but none the less, I put it all on, just to see what it would feel like again. I tied the dagger to my ankle and sword to my hip and straightened up. I felt strong. Or maybe I was just being cocky and looked stupid. I pulled out my sword and just swung it around a few times. I whirled it above my head and made a few jabs at the sleeping Amy.

"I'm not a piece of meat, you know," Amy mumbled. I jumped. I hadn't known she was awake. She opened one bleary eye and looked at me. "What're you doing dressed like that?" she asked me.

"I dunno; just wanted to put it on again, I guess. I mean, it's cool, innit?" I asked, turning around.

"Yeah, yeah, get dressed in normal clothes, dork. We're not near battle yet," Amy snapped. She sat up and cracked her back. She got out of bed and walked over to the closet. "What traveling clothes should we wear?" she asked me.

"Hang on," I got all my armor taken off and bound it all together, putting it next to my pack. I walked over and scanned the piles. I picked out a long red-and-white shirt that had a cross on it and long sleeves that covered my hands. Instead of, at the bottom, ending in a round edge, it ended in two points at my knees. I put on black stockings and leather shoes. I found a matching hat that folded over and covered one of my ears. I asked Amy how I looked.

"Goofy," she told me truthfully.

"Perfect," I chirped. I then helped Amy pick out some brown pants like Inuyasha's and a black and white top with intricate leaf designs all around the edges.

"And you told me _I_ looked like a goof," I chuckled. Amy shrugged me off and we went down to the Hall.

"Hi, everyone," I chirruped, taking a seat between Sarah and Hanna. Amy sat next to Mackenzie.

"G'morning, Katie," Geoff said, looking tired. I smiled.

"What're you so perky for, eh?" Sarah asked me suspiciously, glaring at me as if I were warped.

"I'm just excited and scared I guess," I explained.

"You're happy…_too_ happy," Morgan muttered darkly, giving me the evil eye.

It was then that I noticed everyone else was dressed similarly to Amy and me. I smiled triumphantly at Amy.

"See, Amy? I told you we wouldn't stick out like sore thumbs!"

"You…never said anything like that," Amy told me, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm saying it now! So HA," I cackled.

"Well, she's got a point, there," Nich said seriously.

"Don't pay attention to him. Are you all packed?" Mackenzie asked the group.

"Yupskerdoodles!" I answered.

"Dammit, Katie, stop being happy or I will break your happiness!" Geoffrey snarled, waving a fist threateningly at me. I blinked and stared at him.

"OK..," I muttered, shrinking and eating berries meekly.

"Hey, look! It's the queen!" Hanna said, pointing to the head table. The queen stood up. Jakob was sitting next to her. The rings on her fingers caught the light and sparkled.

"Good morning, fair people of River Belle Path!" She cried. "I say unto you, on the very day of the departure of our warriors, fear not; weep not, for they shall return! Oprah has said so to me in a dream last night! She showed me the bright faces of our heroes coming home with golden crowns shining upon their heads, great red capes billowing out behind them as they ride home to us upon shining silver steeds! Thank the gods above for these blessings! Now, I request that our warriors come up here one last time before their departure," My friends and I stood up and walked forward amidst tumulus applause. I waved kindly at them. Then I came in front of the queen.

"Kneel while I lay my blessings upon you," she told us, drawing out her sword. I reluctantly kneeled and bowed my head before the woman who, as I feared, would chop my head off in front of all these people. But she did not. She merely placed her sword on each one of our shoulders, then our head. Jakob came down and kneeled as well. As the queen did this, she said,

"Praise unto you, those who came from Beyond the Shrub. You bring my country great tidings of hope and joy. May your job be done quickly, and your return silent and swift. I put the protection of Oprah onto you with my blessings as well. Stand," after each person got blessed, they stood up and faced the crowd. A choir had begun to sing a medium-soft song. I could understand any words, but I doubted there were any, just beautiful humming of the fair people-creatures.

"Now go! Your caravans are awaiting you outside the palace. Be gone, now! And God speed…!" I turned around to catch a glimpse of the queen. She had one tear rolling down her cheek. I followed the others down the dais and out the great doors into the Entrance Hall where we split up before meeting back with our packs. Mackenzie's was the largest, I noticed, carrying the cooking gear.

"Here, tie these food rations to the bottoms of your packs," Mackenzie said, handing each of us a round duffel bag-type roll of leather. Inside were a canteen of icy water and several days' worth of salted pork, bread, berries, and fruits. We all helped one another tie the packs onto the others' pack and walked out the door.

As we marched purposefully across the lawn, I caught the first glimpse of the caravans. They were two small wagons with white leather stretched across wooden frames. The inside was about six feet by four feet. At the front were two white stallions being held down by two servants who had been sent there to wait for us.

"Thank you. I'll take it from here," Mackenzie said. The two walked away. "Toss your packs in the back," she told us, organizing the wagons so as the packs was evenly arranged with the armor on top in case we needed it. Mackenzie then got on one of the stallions and Jakob got on the other. Geoff, Amy, and I got on the back of one of the caravans; Sarah, Nich, Morgan, and Hanna on the other. Our feet dangling off the edge, we started off at an even pace.

When we entered the city, there was the same silence as yesterday. The people were all paying their respects to us as we rolled past. Somewhere was the slow beating of drums. We rode slowly by the people of River Belle Path. A small girl ran up to me and handed me a bent white daisy.

"Good luck, Soldier," she said. I nearly bawled and leaned on Amy who was holding back sobs. Again, there were flowers being tossed before us. The whole city was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and flowers were continually being pressed upon us all so that we nearly had enough to fill the palace by the time we left the village. The people, the entire village it seemed like, had solemnly followed us to the brink of the city. Then, as we moved farther and farther out, they stopped and just waved for what seemed like hours. We stopped by McCarthy's shop on our way by. The people still waved. The man was already leaning on the wall as we approached.

"We'll be seeing you," Hanna said to the man. He inclined his head.

"I promise you, we'll be back one of these days," Mackenzie said. All of a sudden, I couldn't hold back any longer, and leapt off the cart. I ran at McCarthy and wrapped my arms as tightly as I could around his muscly arms. I sobbed and sobbed.

"I-w-w-w-ill miss-s-yo-you!!" I whined.

McCarthy patted my head and carried me back to my wagon.

"That goes double for me," he whispered, embracing me and then everyone else.

"Take care of yourselves!" he bellowed as we disappeared into the woods; little did I know it would be a while before I returned back to that fair city.


	18. Can't Turn Back

**RAC: **Woow! I am really getting the urge to write today! Beforehand, I thought I'd just give a quick explination of how I write on my home computer thing: I type in Word, size 9, TNR, no double-spacing. So far, I have 12 9-page chapters…Well, chapter 12's not totally done, so I'm going to finish that up and start another one! Keep in mind I make 3 chapters for out of one of mine…This just in case it catches up with me and it takes a while to make another new chappie. SO! I apologize for boring you, ON WITH THE FIC!! ;;;

**Christina**: _gets cornered by the same dude_ EEP! O.O…..HELP!!!  
**Bankotsu**: Bastard. _fighting the DWC  
_**Mackentosh**: _runs by and pitches AOL disks at the dude…killing him_  
**DWC**: X.X  
**Christina**: _giggles and doodles on his face, runs off  
_  
**Somewhere Else…**  
**Hanna**: _flicking a rubber band while Night is fighting a army of zombie leprechauns  
_**Night**: Evil! Uber mean green midgets!  
**Hanna**: _snaps out of it_ Did you say…..Leprechauns? _eyes get all red and goes on a merciless leprechaun killing spree  
_**Night**: Hey one of them has a four leaf clover. _steals it and runs off_  
**Hanna**: _flicks the rubber band and runs off_

**--One month into my travels-- **

I had gotten used to sleeping on the ground and camping out for the past month. We had, so far, not encountered much danger. Nothing had happened, and our swords had never had to be drawn. But back then we were still in River Belle Path's region. We dwindled for a while on the brink of the area, toying with thoughts of returning, but none ever actually took place. Then we entered Mount Vellenge. It was a creepy place, a region that covered all the mountains around the River Belle Path area.

It was rugged and cold up there. There were few trees, and no people. Everywhere we turned was only rock, rock, rock, cave, ledge, rock. Most areas we had to get off and maneuver the caravans around holes in the thin paths which dropped off into white mist.

"It's s-so col-d," I chattered, huddling with my wagon group which consisted of Geoffrey and Amy, in the back of our wagon. We all had our blankets drawn tightly around us and were leaning back-to-back to each other, trying to conserve as much energy as possible.

"So much rock…so-much-rock…," Amy stuttered, putting her head in my lap and curling up into a feedle position.

"You need to get over your fetish, Amy," I sighed and stroked her head.

Then, both caravans came to a halt.

"Hey, you guys! I hear something…!" Jakob called.

"What is it?" I asked carelessly, not moving.

"I think it's an Ice Mu!" Jakob muttered, moving quickly to the back of the caravan and helping us all out. I sure as heck didn't hear anything!

"What's an Ice Mu?" I asked curiously, unsheathing my blade.

"It's kinda like a monkey, only with squint eyes and it hops around a lot. It doesn't stand still for long, so it's difficult to kill if you don't slash at it directly. It uses ice powers obviously, and is a blueish in color," Hanna explained. We all waited. Then, I heard something stir on the cliff above us. We all looked up. There was the monkey-type thing, an Ice Mu, peering down at us, with about fifty of its fellows all crowded around it. I gulped.

"Are they difficult to kill?" I asked nervously as the Ice Mu danced rapidly above us and began throwing stones down. I raised my shield above my head. No armor would be needed for this.

"Not particularly," Sarah replied casually. Her remark enraged the creatures and they danced even more vigorously.

"Do you die if you get frozen by the ice powers?" I asked.

"Nope, mostly you just feel freezing cold, but it wear off after about fifteen to thirty seconds," Sarah replied. I made a face.

"Let's get started!" Mackenzie cried casually as the Mu started to come. We spread out into pairs automatically, seeing how two heads are better than one. I didn't really care who my partner was, as long as he or she was quick o their feet!

One of the Ice Mu headed straight for me. Great! One had gotten by Mackenzie who seemed to have great sport in randomly killing things. I leapt over it; it was only two and a half feet tall. It seemed stunned and kept spinning around trying to find me, only I came down and stabbed it sharply through the heart. Its red gooey blood dripped from the wound. I felt repulsed as I ripped my blade from its head. I turned around to check on the others, but quickly turned around again. I heard something approaching me from behind. A third one came.

"Man, these creatures are almost too easy!" I said in an oh-I-am-gonna-be-sick kinda voice as I saw the blood and carnage all over the ground. I easily killed this one with an Aura Shot. "JAKOB, HEADS UP!" I bellowed as the shot went through my target and headed for him. He dove out of the way and four more Mu died.

All was quiet around me, so I turned around and watched the would-be couple Morgan and Nich. They were standing back to back and looking weird. "You get right, I get left," they said. I had no idea what they were saying, but I watched interestedly none the less.

They turned to their respective corners and got ready for nine of the Ice Mu. All of a sudden, Nich shoved Morgan to the right and gripped his sword in both hands. He began turning very quickly until dust began forming a mini-tornado around him. He barreled down on the Ice Mu on the left. They didn't stand a chance; some of the heads rolled of the cliff into the mist below.

I was so entranced by Morgan and Nich's teamwork that I didn't hear the Mu coming from behind me.

"KATIE!" Amy shrieked. I turned around and saw the monkey-creature about two inches from me. I raised my hands to protect my face from its sharp little teeth and braced myself for the bite, only I heard its death cry. Geoffrey had protected me.

"Dumbass, did you not know you had a shield?!" He asked me angrily.

I grinned at Geoff who raised an eyebrow. "Thanks much, dude," I told him, heading for more Ice Mu.

About ten minutes later there were only four Ice Mu left, all around me.

"Don't do nothin' to 'em!" I ordered. "I'll take care of 'em," I said in an overly confident voice. But the Ice Mu proved to be more challenging than I thought. They were so fast! "Dammit," I muttered as I used blade and dagger to defend myself.

I killed one, bashing its head in; another, through the heart; I beheaded the other one, but then I got careless. I attacked it, but it easily ran out of the way. I couldn't find it until it latched onto my left arm.

"Oh-no-you-did-n't!" I said angrily, slicing the creature in half. Its head was grotesque and ugly, and was still latched onto my arm. "EEEWWW! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!" I howled. Sarah came over and easily removed the head, tossing it over the cliff. I sighed. "Thanks," I said, and then I fell to the ground, gripping my arm. It was freezing cold! I looked down at it; ice began covering the wound. "WTF?!?!?!"

"Someone get the medical kit!" Mackenzie barked, folding up my sleeve. Hanna dropped the kit by Mackenzie's side. Mackenzie rummaged through it and pulled out a heat compress which she forced onto my arm and held there for thirty seconds. My arm went numb, and burned when she pulled it away, but I wasn't cold anymore atleast.

"Thanks!" I said for, like, the millionth time that day.

"No problem," Mackenzie said casually.

We stood up and walked back to our wagons which had stayed out of harm's way thanks to our great protection. We loaded up again and headed off along the bumpy path, jiggling and jangling.

"Figures I'm the only one hurt," I said distastefully, wiping the blood off my sword and onto a trashy rag. I handed it to the others and they did the same to their blades as well.

"Figures you're the one not iced," Geoffrey told me seriously.

I stuck my tongue out.

"Figures I don't shove you off that cliff!" I snapped.

"Mackenzie, where are we heading to next?" I asked.

" Selapation Cave," was the reply. I turned back to the others.

"Know that that's about?" I asked.

"Nope," they said.

"Huh. Figures," I mumbled. "Wish we could make a fire in here," I yawned and settled in for a good nap. "Wake me when we're there,"

"We're there," Mackenzie chirruped. I scowled and got up feeling disgruntled. I stepped out of the caravan and looked around it. We were at the mouth of an enormous cave. Inside was all-black. I was a bit terrified of only being able to see the way through with a lantern, until I saw jagged holes at the tops of the caves which threw patches of sunlight semi-into the cave; I sighed a sigh of relief.

"Put your armor on," Mackenzie said. I whirled around to face her as she came our way to retrieve her armor from the wagon.

"Why do we need to do this?" I asked.

"This place is filled with powerful monsters. There will be Ice Mu, oh yes, but there will also be Gigantrice, skeletons, gigan toads, and gremlins," Mackenzie told me. I gulped.

_'What the hell are those?'_ I wondered. I donned the mail, leather vest, pants, and armor. I got back in the van only to be snapped at by Mackenzie again.

"You're gonna have to walk this leg of the journey," she told me. I sighed and climbed back out again. "Who's gonna hold the lantern?" she asked, looking around at us. When no one volunteered, she picked me out to do the job. I lit it and cautiously led the way into Selapation Cave. Once inside, the only source of light was the dull light from the lantern and thin slivers of sunlight which rained down on us from above. There were strange noises in the darkness. Like…_growling_ and _hissing_ and…_ribbiting?_ I was spooked.

We had entered in from a northern passage and began winding our way down south. About a quarter-mile into the cave, a monster leapt out at us. I dropped the lantern; it rolled away under one of the wagons. Mackenzie and Jake fought to keep control of the horses as they tried to flee from the beasts. The monsters were two enormous toads sea-green in color with small beady eyes and large, beige feet. They made loud plooping noises on the rock as they quickly made their way towards us.

"Gigan toad?" I asked.

"Yup; gigan toad," Mackenzie told me. I peeked around the side of the wagon and waited for the others to get in front of me.

"What're you doing back here?! Get out there!" Mackenzie barked, shoving me into the midst of my fellows. The toads glowed sort of in the dim lights. I could just begin to make them out when they attacked. They each shot out a long, sticky, red tongue which flew towards our caravans. Mackenzie, being the closest to one of the wagons, slashed at the tongue. Her sword bounced off the rubbery tongue and sent her staggering back. The tongue recoiled. Jakob sliced the other tongue, making it recoil as well. The toads bounced and moved in circles around us. I went with Amy, Morgan, and Hanna to kill the toad on the left first.

"Aura Shot!" I cried, releasing a chi ball onto the enemy, It hit the toad and bounced back, aiming right for me and the wagons.

"Idiot!" Geoffrey cried, running from out of nowhere and slicing my chi in half, causing it to go careening into the sides of the cave.

"Shut up!" I snapped. I ran back at the toad. Amy was being a distraction; running from side to side and then feinting moves; luring the attention of the toad away from Hanna and Morgan who were running behind it to attack its backside. I ran at it full-on with Amy by my side.

"Power slash!" the four of us cried at the same time, slamming our blades into the frog's gooey sides. We just managed to create little cuts in its body, but blood trickled down the sides of it, and the gigan toad stormed around angrily, crying out and ribbiting furiously. I threw myself on the floor of the cave to avoid the tongue which Amy hit with her sword. Morgan then leapt up onto the toad's back. It didn't like this.

It jumped around even more. Morgan held on for dear life trying to attempt something.

"What are you; STUPID?!" I bellowed angrily as we all ran around trying to avoid the thing's feet.

"NO!" Morgan yelped. She raised her blade and thrust it deep into the fleshy back of the head. The toad grew silent for about five seconds, then began to wobble, and it fell; dead. It's fellow roared and suddenly used an ice attack on the four of us. BOOM. We were frozen solid. It felt as if I had been plunged into the icy depths of the North Atlantic. I couldn't breathe nor hear; the ice was covering my ears and mouth. I struggled to move my hands, but nothing worked. All I could do was watch Geoff and Nich roar and leap up to hit the toad as it barreled down on us to eat.

I clenched my eyes, terrified. All of a sudden, I felt extremely hot and the ice effects wore off. I remembered to breathe and sucked in great gulps of air.

"Oh-my-god,-I-thought-that-I-was-dead!" I panted.

"Get up!" Hanna snarled, throwing me to the side as the toad made to swipe me into its mouth with its long tongue. I rolled out of the way, only to realize I had left my sword on the ground where I previously was. I ran for it, dove out of the way of the tongue again, and leapt up.

The gigan toad had that cool air about it again, and I sensed it was going to use an ice attack again. I moved out of the way with the others who hid behind the caravans. The range of the attack was far from us and we charged out again.

Hanna ran and slid under the thing's belly while Nich and Morgan ran in front of it, trying to get the toad to stare at them while Jake and I stood on the right, Amy and Geoff on the left, and Mackenzie and Sarah stood behind it. We all began to run back and forth until the thing became really dizzy again. Then Hanna thrust upward with her sword, slicing into the soft underbelly of the demon. It cried out in alarm and pain. Hanna hurriedly got out from underneath it before it crumpled. Then we took our chance and began hacking away at its body. Blood poured from the wounds, making the ground sticky with blood. The toads were dead. Thank the lord!

"Well, not exactly the easiest of monsters, but useful, none the less," Mackenzie said, wiping sweat from her brow.

"What do you mean?" Hanna asked, sweat dripping from her nose. She had had the worst part of the battle. There was no, way_ I_ would've dove beneath the beast!

"This," Mackenzie said, and promptly shoved her hand into the back of the other dead toad's head. She pulled out her bloody arm looking triumphant. I vomited on the side of the cave.

"And that would be…?" Amy asked nervously, looking pained.

"Toad oil. Not the most valuable of substances, but it can be sold," Mackenzie said, going to one of the caravan's and pulling out a cloth. She wiped the blood off the oil and put it in a jar which she sealed and set on the floor.

"Nashtey," I said. I grinned at my fellows and they grinned back.

Mackenzie and Jakob returned to their positions at the horse's heads and the rest of us, weary though we were, toiled on through the darkness until we collapsed against he walls with pure exhaustion. I had no clue about how far we had come. All I knew was that my joints ached and I longed to sleep. We had seen mysterious shapes move in the shadows, but they ran from our lantern. I was grateful. I still had a sore shoulder from the fight I'd had with Geoffrey.

"Let's stay here for the night," Mackenzie said. She got off the horse, and for someone I thought had unlimited endurance; she looked worn out. We all pulled out our packs and unfurled out blankets in the middle of our campsite which had been rigged out of the wagons and a cave wall. We formed a box against the wall, leaving the front open to be able to keep watch.

"Damn that toad," I snarled, minutes later, wrapped like an Eskimo in my blanket with just my eyes peering out. Mackenzie was the first to keep guard-watch so she was leaning against one of the wagons, facing the darkness. Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed a few, well-earned comforts: some salted pork. I munched on the meat gratefully. Somehow, it just felt like I hadn't eaten in _hours. _Although, I didn't really know how long we had actually_ been_ in the cave. I pondered this thought until I got up enough strength to untie my sword so I could sleep. I lay the weapon beside me and put my head on my hands, letting sleep take me.

While I slept, I dreamt a peaceful dream. I was no longer freezing my butt off in some stupid mountain cave; I was back at River Belle Path. A place where the air smelled so sweet and there were three course meals every day! There were clear skies and rolling green plains. I dreamt I was riding back victorious from out of the woods, only to see acrid black smoke billowing in the distance. I cried out and ran to the palace, which was the main source of the fire. When I got to the grounds, there were demons and bodies strewn everywhere. I cried out again as the enemies noticed me and charged, their fangs bared.


	19. Doubt in my Heart

**Everyone is once again together…**

**Carolyn**: That was stupid. I had this dude in a sheet beat me over the head for candy…  
**Sr**: And he is now a girl ghost.  
**All**: O.o  
**All** **the** **men**: _shudder  
_**Miroku**: That'd be bad…_pats himself  
_**All** **the** **Girls**: O.o  
**Katie**: I don't wanna drive home_…snaps her fingers and everyone is once again back at the set  
_**All**: O.o  
**Sr**: Couldn't you have done that to begin with…?  
**Katie**: Maybeh? _shifty eyes  
_**All**:_ glare at Katie and thwack her  
_**Katie**: OWIE! T.T  
**Christina**: Well that's our show everybody…  
**Rin**: Already? _still hugging the shot gun  
_**Sr**: I can't help thinking we forgot something…

**In the Trunk….**  
**Sarah**: HELP! Let me out of this freaking trunk. I haft to pee really bad!

I woke up in a cold sweat, my head pounding, arms held rigid at my sides.

_'What the heck was that all about?'_ I asked myself. I sat up. The oil in the lantern was burning low in its holder, so I blew it out. My eyes turned solid black. I waited until they had adjusted before I moved. Then I felt cold steel at my throat. I froze.

"Beast, what are you doing here?" the disembodied voice was Mackenzie. She had jumped up when she felt the light go out.

"Mackenzie, it's me…!" I managed to squeak. There was a wave of breath and Mackenzie lowered her sword. I sighed in relief and grabbed Mackenzie's hand.

"Hmm...Kenz? Everyin' a'ite?" Amy asked groggily.

"I've got everything under control. Don't worry. Go back to sleep," Mackenzie told her. A ruffling of blankets and Amy was nestled back among her blanket like everyone else. The sound of rhythmic breathing filled the air around us. I walked with Mackenzie back to her post.

"See anything?" I asked conversationally.

"Not too much, just another Ice Mu. I killed it though," Mackenzie replied. I nodded; thankful I hadn't needed to be woken up.

"Wait…what's that…?" I peered into the darkness. There had been a flurry of movement just beyond my range of sight. I couldn't see too clearly, but it had two legs and was carrying a weapon. Greeeat…

"A Lizardman I think…," Mackenzie looked to where I had said I thought I had seen something. She stood up. Wait here. I'm going to wake the others," she told me. I nodded my head.

I lit the lantern and held it aloft. I turned around and screamed, dropping it though. Behind me was this six-foot-tall lizard-man. It had green, scaly skin, a red mohawk, and long, jagged teeth protruding over its lower lip. It raised its sword it held at its side.

"Katie!" someone screamed behind me.

_'Dammit! I left my sword!'_ I realized this and smacked myself on the forehead. I dropped to the ground as the Lizardman swiped at me. Its claws dug into one of the railings of the wagon. I slid between its legs and kicked it where the sun doesn't shine. Only…I don't think it was a guy; it didn't crumple to the ground like guys did. In fact, it did quite the opposite. It jumped into the air and nearly landed on me. I rolled around in all directions avoiding the furious stomps of it and its strikes.

"Some _help_ would be nice right about now!" I cried angrily, doing a backward roll. I got on my feet and ran for my sword as the others gathered close to the Lizardman. I grabbed the sword and turned around. Sarah had the thing on the run. Only, it turned around and tried biting her. It got a corner of her shield; that part of the shield burned and melted away.

"Great! Venom!" Sarah snarled, shaking the Lizard off her. Jakob ran up, locking into sword combat with the thing. By now, I could only follow the sounds of their clashing because they had moved so far into the shadows.

"AARGH!"

"JAKOB!"

"What happened?!" I bellowed. Amy suddenly came running out of the shadows.

"Jake got hit! He's down!" she cried, pulling me into the dark. I could hear the cries of Nich as he valiantly took Jakob's place against the Lizardman. Jakob was carried past me in Morgan and Mackenzie's arms. There was an open wound near his ear.

"Meteor Strike!" Nich bellowed. His chi lit up the way. The yellow neon light flew down upon the lizard, squashing it into the rock. I ran up to it after the light faded and stabbed it in the head for good measure. It didn't move.

"Hey! Mackenzie! Anything, good in this thing?" I called out sarcastically.

"Actually…Its fangs would fetch a pretty good price…!" Mackenzie replied from back by the wagons. Figures. "Geoffrey does it!" I suddenly chirped, running for the campsite. The others quickly followed my lead, leaving poor Geoff to yank out the flat beast's fangs.

I went and kneeled down by Jakob's side.

"He gonna be OK?" I asked, peering down at Jake who lay unconscious on his blanket.

"Get me the medicine bag. I need to sterilize this as soon as possible," Mackenzie told me. I nodded, hurried away, and dove inside Jake's wagon. I pulled out a leather case, and went back to Mackenzie, handing it to her. She pulled out a jar full of some kind of clear liquid which she put onto some gauze.

"Hold him down," she said absent-mindedly, screwing the cap of the jar back on. Me, Amy, Sarah, and Morgan held down each of Jakob's limbs, although we were not sure exactly why. Mackenzie quickly put the wet gauze on Jakob's wound, and his eyes flew open and he began to scream. It was loud, and he struggled, thrashing about while Mackenzie struggled to hold his head still, pushing the gauze tighter to his skull. After a while, he went still as stone.

"Did he die?!" I screeched, putting my ear near his mouth; breathing. Thank, God!

"Get out of the way!" Mackenzie said gruffly, shoving me aside. She dismissed the rest of us, sending us to the edges of the light to guard against more beasts. Mackenzie, meanwhile, was sewing up Jakob's mauled ear with a needle and thread. Jacob moaned with every piercing of the needle. Ow!

"How's it going out there?" Nich suddenly asked Geoff. I could barely make out the whites of his eyes as he flicked Nich off.

"Perfectly OK!" he replied. We heard a muffled '_pop' _and Geoff reappeared, holding a handful of massive, bloody fangs in one hand, far from his body.

"WOO!" he cackled, waving them near my face.

"EEK!" I cried, whacking his hand into the air, causing him to scatter the teeth on the ground.

_"Pick them up!" _Mackenzie said fiercely, a long piece of thread in her mouth. She resumed her stitching of Jakob's ear.

I bent down and sheepishly helped Geoffrey pick the fangs up and bring them to Mackenzie. She placed them in her medicine bag in another, smaller, leather pouch. She finished up Jakob's stitches. She then picked the man up in her arms and staggered to the caravan on the left-hand side. She placed him on the floor of the wagon and covered him with the blanket. Another moan.

"OK, who's on guard duty next?" she asked when she turned around. Everyone blinked and stared at her. "Katie and Amy! You two!"

"Dangit…!" I said angrily, stomping to the edge of the site. I leaned against one wagon, and Amy leaned against the other. When everyone behind us had quieted, I began a conversation to try and keep myself awake.

"Amy, how long do you think it's been in our world since we left?" I asked.

"I dunno; most likely just an hour or so; maybe four. Who knows the strange time lapses in this world?!" Amy sighed and leaned further down against the wheel.

"I know. But…I hope we all make it back…alive…," I trailed off.

"Ditto. I still can't figure out why we even _started_ this journey,"

"Neither can I. I can't imagine what death might be like,"

"Katie! Don't talk like that!"

"I'm sorry! It's just, when I think about what our _true _mission is, I get so terrified, I make myself sick! The dream I had an hour ago…," I told Amy about my nightmare.

"Eesh. You sure do dream some strange things!"

"I don't get it though. It was so…so _real_. You get what I'm saying?"

"Not really,"

"Oh, you're hopeless," I snapped.

After this, I stopped talking. I was silently praying that there would be no more monsters near our campsite that night. I didn't think my worn-out body could take it! At one point, I saw that Amy had fallen asleep. I was weary and mad, but I did not wake her back up. Such was the extent of my exhaustion. I decided to check on Jakob.

He was sleeping soundly in the back of the wagon; his chest gently rising and falling with every breath. I looked at the stitches on his right ear. There were five of them winding their way around his ear. I cringed and headed back to my watching sight.

I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't, so I went and woke Nich up to keep watch. He kicked at me. I bit him. And he decided he'd better not mess with my sleep-deprived, fourteen-year-old self, and took up my old position.

I climbed gratefully back into my blanket, snuggled deep into my pillow, and slept the sleep of the dead.


	20. That Which Destroys the Cave

**Back With Everyone Else…**  
**Katie**: Eh well. Probably nothing.  
**Sr**: …..UPDATE PARTY!  
**All**: _cheer_  
**Katie**: _puts on party music and everyone dances_ Happy Update everyone!  
**Amy**: _pulls out some mugs filled with rum_ Drinking games are my specialty so bring it on people!  
**Katie**: C ya next chapter. If our hangovers don't last that long…

**Back with DWC:**  
**DWC**: _wakes_ _up_ Oh damn! _[his face has a drawn on mustache, naughty words and a few sexual things drawn all over it _CURSE YOU INSANE PEOPLE!!!! _gets hit by a shoe and is knocked out once again _

The next-erm morning, I was surprisingly not the last one awake. That had been happening a lot, actually. Sarah and Mackenzie were huddled in one of the far-out patches of sunlight, absorbing as much heat as possible with their blankets. Sarah was complaining about her shield.

"But, Mackenzie, if we can just find the material…!"

"No! I will not lend you my money! We have only enough to get to Alfitaria. And that's _hundreds_ maybe _thousands_ of miles away!"

"I'll _get_ the material! I just need some gold!"

"Find it yourself!"

"Hmph! Some friend _you _are!"

After this, Sarah picked up her shield and stormed nastily away, brushing by me without a word of greeting. I shivered; _cold_.

"G'morning, Mackenzie," I said, sitting in the patch of sunlight which filtered into the cave.

"Morning, Kate," Mackenzie sounded weary. _That _battle must have been going on for a while. I smelled something. I looked around and then remembered the two Gigan Toads and the Lizardman we had slain the other night. Blech!

"So, what's the plan for today?" I asked.

"Well. Right now I'd say we're about five miles up and through the mountain. We've still got another one hundred to go, as fast as the crow flies," Mackenzie sighed and massaged her eyelids.

"_What?!_" I asked under my breath, leaning forward. "We've been walking for _hours_ and are only _five miles into the mountain?" _

"Sure enough," Mackenzie said casually.

Behind me there was the sound of someone waking up. I guessed it was Jakob, since there was the sound of creaky cart wheels. I looked over at Mackenzie who waved me off.

When I got to the cart, Jakob had rolled over onto his back and stared up at the leather ceiling with contempt.

"Well, howdy-doo!" I chirruped, popping up beside him.

"WAAH!" Jake cried, nearly cutting my throat with his sword. Talk about scary! That was the second time one of the fellowship tried killing me!

"It's me! It's me!" I called out in a hoarse whisper.

Jakob's scream had roused the others who began to wake up and walk about, stretching out their worn muscles.

"God, Katie. Don't _do_ that to me!" Jakob snapped irritably.

"PMS…," I muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, -"

"_Ow!_" Jakob winced as he broke into a smile, which caused his stitches to bend.

"How's our patient doing?" Amy asked, coming up beside me and looking particularly sleep-worn.

"Fine and dandy now that you mention…OF COURSE I'M NOT OK!" Jakob cried, pounding the floor of his bed.

"Sheesh! Well ex_cuse_ me!" Amy snarled. "PMS?" she asked me.

"PMS," I nodded. Amy inclined her head to the prince and walked off.

"Such a pleasant girl," Jakob said sarcastically as Amy burped really loud and grabbed her pack.

"Oh, don't say that! She's got a great personality," I told Jake.

"Uh-huh…riiiiight," Jakob shook his head in disbelief.

"Ugh. You're hopeless," I walked over to my pack while Mackenzie and the others each went up to Jakob in quick succession to ask him if he would be OK. I rummaged in my pack while Mackenzie checked the stitches on the side of Jakob's face and pulled out a pair of brown trousers and white shirt. I took off my blood-soaked leather shoes and untied my tennis shoes.

_'Thank God for Nikes!'_ I thought happily, tossing the blood-stained clothes aside. "First changes!" I announced to everybody, climbing into the back of the wagon that was not currently occupied by Jakob. The others groaned in disappointment, but started in on an extremely light breakfast.

I changed and came out. "What do we do with the bloody clothes?" I asked.

"Put them in your pack, Stoopid," Geoffrey told me, nibbling on a piece of dried fruit. (**A/N:** I mean to spell 'stupid' like 'Stoopid.')

"Eww…," I didn't like the idea, but then again…I also didn't like then idea of having to carry an extra lead weight over my armor, which I had reapplied. This time, I would remember my dagger on my ankle if ever I got separated from my sword. I wrapped the leather shoes in the bloody outfit and shoved all this into my pack. I could see the stitches straining on the sides.

After this, I grabbed the pack and settled in by the others to discuss tactics.

"So, after Selapation Cave, what's next?" Amy asked.

"Alfitaria…," Mackenzie told her. All around me, I could see the sudden intake of breath and the looks of hope on the faces of my comrades.

"What's up with Alfitaria?" I asked.

"Well. It's the largest city in the world. A Lilty city, mind you; so mind your tongue. They can be violent when the time calls for it. Alfitaria's a trading city, so it'll be great once we get there. We're in dire need of supplies. We're going to have to find some more toad oil if we're going to keep the lantern going for much longer,"

We turned as one and looked at the lantern which looked back innocently at us. I felt kinda bad and was the first to turn around.

"I propose we just don't use the damn thing," Geoffrey said.

"I second that," Hanna said. And then, it went all around the circle until we had all raised our hands but Mackenzie.

"Whatever. We will use it if we come to…_advanced darkness_," she said. She stood up and put the lantern in one of the caravans. When she got back she ordered us to pack up camp. "We've got a long way to go yet," she told us. Boy did I know that better than anyone!

While everyone ran around gathering up their things and rolling up their blankets, there was the gentle _drip drip_ of water; only, it sounded more like _venom_ to me, because after each drip there was a soft _ssss _as if something were melting. I hoped I was only imagining it.

With Jakob injured and no one else as revved-up as I was, it then became my job to ride the white stallion at the front of the left caravan. Mackenzie still rode the right one. Amy sat in the back with Jakob to make sure nothing went wrong with his stitches and to make sure the Lizardman teeth didn't roll out the back of the wagon and shatter. There was jealousy among them, I could tell. But I couldn't help but smile and do a little jig as we set off to do another five-mile a day trip. Great! That would mean; one…two…twenty-four more days until we got out into the sunlight again!

"Nooo, I don't wanna be a Gollum!!" I howled, causing Geoffrey, who was walking beside me, to jump.

"What's a Gollum?" he asked me.

I settled more comfortably on the great white horse for a long story.

"Well, Gollum was once a Hobbit who, at first, came from a river-side village in the old Middle-Earth, which was long, long ago from this time. He killed his brother, Deagol, and left the village as an outcast to scratch a living off rocks. But word got around about the murder, and Gollum then went to live in the Misty Mountain caves where no one lived, and no one would hurt him. It was there he found a ring. This ring was evil and oppressive and gave unto Gollum, unnatural long-life. He lived in darkness for so long that hs eyes grew huge. He got so thin every bone in his body pokes through his white skin. Gollum was the evil side of Smeagol who was forged by the ring," I explained.

"Uh-huh…," Geoff looked confused and scared and moved away. I hung my head.

After a while, we came to a right-hand passage. Not knowing what lay ahead, we plunged on bravely into the darkness. It was colder in here than most other areas of Selapation Cave which led me to believe that there was a large underground ice river somewhere nearby. Mackenzie explained to us that this was the area from whence River Belle flowed and that it was only cold here because we were so high up onto the mountains. Then another demon popped out. Well, it didn't exactly _pop_; it just sorta…floated at us. There was only one and it was a fiery-orange color with long arms and small, clawed hands. It gnashed its teeth threateningly at us as we rushed around into our battle positions. Its large red eyes danced excitedly as the flames coming from its body eminated off our shiny blades. Looking directly at the demon stung my eyes; it was that bright.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I don't…I don't know!" Mackenzie replied. The thing was roughly two and a half feet wide. Then it attacked. That's when I also saw the three Lizardmen come out from behind it.

"Oh great! Just great!" Amy snarled sarcastically.

"I and Amy will get the fire-thingy!" I announced grabbing Amy and making her run with me at the glowing ball.

"I don't _want_ to get it! Let me go!" Amy howled. I rolled my eyes and dropped her. Geoff appeared at my side as I tried hitting the flaming demon to no avail. It levitated into the sky. Then Jakob appeared at my side.

"What're you doing; going into battle by yourself?!" Jakob snapped, hitting me with the blunt side of his blade.

"Stoopid!" Geoffrey growled.

Sarah, Nich, and Morgan were trying to take on the biggest of the three Lizards. Morgan was in fierce combat with it; their blades swinging so fast they were mere blurs, a wonder to behold. Nich was standing off to the side summoning up the yellow chi, and I assumed he was going to use a meteor blast again or something. And Sarah was trying to help Morgan.

Mackenzie had gotten hold of Amy and thrust her against one of the small Lizardmen. She was fighting the other one with Hanna, bashing and kicking so ferociously they were getting the Lizard against a wall.

That's when I remembered I was supposed to be helping Jakob and Geoffrey! I looked up to see if the thingie was still there; it wasn't. I then saw Geoff lying on the ground, covering his eyes and blocking fire missiles coming from the creature. I rushed over to help him.

"Hiyaah!" I leapt up and slashed the beast's arm. It fell off and hit me hard on the head. I threw the arm away in disgust and helped Geoff up.

"You a'ight?" I asked him. Jakob was now fighting against the raging one-armed demon which was shooting raging blasts all around the cave. I felt a shudder. I quaked.

"Jakob! Run!" I bellowed. Jakob leapt up, and blocking the fire bombs that rained down from the ceiling, ran over to us. I gathered up my chi and cart-wheeled, blasting the fire-bomb creature with a pulse thrust. It fell to the ground and began glowing, sucking in what little heat that was already in the area. I felt the ice crystals begin to form in my mouth.

"What did you _do?!_" Morgan snarled, back flipping away from the great Lizard as Nich bombarded it with a Meteor Blast.

"Don't ask _me!"_ Isnarled, covering my ears as there was suddenly a great pull of pressure coming from the slain monster. I dug my sword into the soft soil and rock and braced myself against it. Mackenzie, having defeated the Lizard she was against, did the same. Sarah broke the great Lizard's skull and it crumpled, only to be sucked into the pull of pressure which was building and only getting stronger. I could feel my body beginning to slide. Amy was still fighting!

"Amy! Get _down!_" I cried, trying to keep myself from getting sucked in.

"I can _do_ this!" Amy bellowed. Only I felt the pressure increase two-fold and almost got sucked in until I felt something warm covering me. It was Jakob and Geoffrey. They were using their bodies to hold me down while digging themselves footholds.

"Thanks, guys!" I cried.

"D-don't-men-tion it!!" Jakob grunted struggling to hold on.

"Get Amy!" I ordered Geoffrey.

"She's already stable!" Geoff assured me. I nodded, hoping this was true and not just some falsehood they had made up to keep me from knowing the truth. Then…

_'BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!'_


	21. Without Her

**Katie: **Sr is now kicked out for not being here at all! _Boots Sr off the set_

**Sr: **_lands in a trashcan by the exit _

**Mackentosh: **Hehe. Spot's now out for rent!

**Sarah: **And why is that?! We already have enough _weirdoes _as it is…!!

**Momo: **Yeah! I agree! _Turns around for a moment and then comes back_

**Katie: **Momo…Why do you have black licorice on your upper lip? o.O

**Momo: **I thought it would give my arguments more credibility!!

**Sarah: **Oh, it does! Really.

**Mackentosh: **In honor of your stupidity, I award you this beautifully carved…rock.

**Katie: **o.O

**Sarah: **O.o

**Momo: **I don't get what the looks are for, but I accept your carved rock.

**All: **_fall over anime-style _

**Katie: **It gets uber-sad for a while starting in this chapter! It wasn't fun writing it. TT.TT

All the pressure that had been sucked into the flaming body seemed to have been blown out all at once, which took me totally by surprise. I felt Jakob and Geoffrey's bodies torn from my own and cried out in worry as I flew though the air. I felt something hard strike my head and suddenly felt drowsy. I thought I saw Mackenzie fly by me, but that was the last I remember before I was thrown into a wall and passed out. The last thing I _heard_ was the sound of crumbling rock and knew my nightmare had come true: the cave was collapsing.

When I next awoke, it was to immense pain. It was centered mainly along my lower back and right leg. It felt as if I had broken my back and leg, but I knew that was not possible, for before long, all feeling returned to both regions, but I still lay unmoving. There was a gash in my thigh. I reached down and pulled away; blood partially covered my fingers. I felt nauseous. I couldn't see anything but billowing clouds of dust. I forgot where I was for the longest of times and just lay there, transfixed at the swirling clouds surrounding me.

By the time the dust had cleared, my mind had as well. I struggled to sit upright. I clenched my arm; I thought I might've fractured my left elbow. Damn. Now I was fully incapable of swinging my blade around and would have to rely on my chi alone; sooo not good.

I looked around me, trying to see if I could distinguish my comrades moving…or still bodies among the rubble and rocks which lay in large and small chunks all around me. I suddenly felt more alone and helpless than I had in a long while. I didn't know what to do, and soon, panic set in. I jumped up and called out, my voice hoarse with the dust which I had inhaled. I launched myself into a hacking fit.

"A-hehe-my! Mack-ack-enzie! Ghe-frahk-ey! Ja-HAKE-ob! Sa-RUH! Hack-na! Ni-ickhak! Mor-gahk-an!" I called out desperately. I fell to my knees and fought for control. I took deep, calming breaths and stood up again.

"Kaa-aatie…!"

"Who's there?!" I called out, using my uninjured hand to cup my mouth.

"It's me, Amy! Where are you?"

And that's when I finally realized something: there was an enormous rock wall blocking the way between me and my BFF. None the less, I began to feel tears ride down my face at just knowing that she was alive.

"Katie?" she called.

"Amy! Amy! I'm behind the rock wall! Do you see it?" I bellowed.

"Yea, anyone alive over there?"

"I...I don't know! Give me a second!"

"OK! But hurry! I'm going to try moving some of this rock!" There were the sounds at the other side base of the rock mountain of Amy scrabbling fruitlessly.

I swallowed a lump in my throat. _'Anyone alive 'over there?''_ I wished Amy had not said anything like that. It made me wonder if she was alone or if she had found a body. Please, dear God, don't let it happen!

I groped my way along the walls, my hands grabbing something hairy. It was white.

"Hanna!" I moaned. I reached down and grabbed the hairs in my arms. But it wasn't Hanna, I realized thankfully, taking a closer look. It was only the body of one of the horses; the front half which lay flat underneath a humongeous stone. The wagon, attached near the back of it, was shattered. I went back to it and miraculously found the lantern unharmed. I lit it and called out for survivors. I heard a groan.

"Hello? Whoever you are, state your name! It's Katie!" I called out, limping my way toward the noise.

"Kuh-hadie…," the low voice croaked desperately. I swallowed another lump.

"Morgan?!" I cried. I hurried as fast as I could go toward the voice, which I soon found belonged to the raspy voice of the demon-midget; Morgan. She was leaning against a stone. Her entire body was covered in dust and there was a nasty gash on her forehead, but it was already congealing. I leaned down beside her.

"You look horrible…!" Morgan smiled at me, and I breathed a sigh of relief; atleast Amy and I were not going to be alone.

"Speak for yourself," I told her, brushing a hand gently across her head wound. She pulled back, hissing. "Ha, told you. Can you stand?" I asked, reaching out my good arm.

Morgan nodded and reached for my left arm, but I pushed my right arm closer into her line of vision.

"Think I pulled this," I pointed at my weak arm. She nodded and I helped her stand. She wobbled and then nearly fell on me, making us both almost topple over. But we got righted and resumed the search for our fellows.

"You find anyone else?" she asked me between calls.

"Just Amy," I responded. "You?"

"Nope. Just the other caravan. Nothing of value left. All crushed," Morgan told me morosely.

_"A body!" _ I shrieked, pointing. Morgan helped me, and we got to a side of the cave where it branched off into another opening, and out of this opening came a nearly over-powering surge of evil so forceful that it nearly made me fall backwards and recoil in fright. The feeling made my feet feel leaden. When we got to the body, Morgan and I figured out it was Geoffrey who lay on the ground beneath a great rock.

"Geoff!!" I howled, draping my body across him and sobbing out loud. Morgan watched nearby where she sat staring wide-eyed into the distance at something I could not see. But for now, all my attention was focused on the body of the bandit leader. "No! Please! Don't die!" I moaned. I didn't want to believe it.

I tilted Geoff's head back and plugged his nose, then placed my mouth on his. I breathed hard breaths into his mouth then pushed on his stomach, trying to prove to myself that he could pull through. I put my mouth on his again, my tears dripping into Geoffrey's eyes. He blinked tiredly and opened his eyes wearily to see me ki-no, performing CPR on him. I was pushing on his ribs again when I felt a gentle caress on my cheek.

"Stop you're crying, Katie. You're too stubborn to show any emotion other than stupidity," he scoffed, wiping my tears from my eyes.

"Morgan! He's alive! He's…alive!" I sobbed, embracing Geoff in a one-armed hug. Morgan rushed over and did the same, crying as well.

"What're you guys crying over?" Geoff asked us. Morgan and I both blinked, sniffled, and stared at him.

"Aren't your legs crushed?" Morgan asked, observing his legs. Sure enough, it looked like they were crushed.

"No. I'm just…I'm just pinned. I think I got an open wound on my upper-thigh though," Geoff said, straining to touch the lower half of his body. Sure enough, his leg was also blood-stained. "What happened to you guys?" Geoff asked.

"Don't ask. How the heck did you get like this?" I gestured at his position.

"I don't know! I'm just pinned. Can you lift the boulder?" Geoff pointed at the rock. It was big; too big for me and Morgan to lift. I had a fractured elbow, and I doubted Morgan could move the rock by herself.

"I don't think so. Morgan, stay with Geoff. I'm going to go check with Amy and see if she's got anyone over there," I stood up, gingerly tested my injured leg, and left the lantern with Morgan who was experimenting with the rock. When I got to the mountain of rock, I could see a small hole at the very top, about fifty feet up, where Amy was fervently shoving rocks away from the opening. I called up to her.

"Katie! You see what I'm doing?!" she cried. I nodded my head. It was still rather dark, but it seemed as if there was a lighter area in Amy's sector, for the back side of her body was illuminated and her face dark.

"Amy. I'm wanting to know if…if you got anyone over there!" I asked my throat catching.

"Well, while you were gone, I found Hanna and Nich and Sarah…You didn't find Mackenzie…did you?" she asked me gently, the soft light appearing on my face as she moved out of the way. I shook my head.

"She wasn't but five feet from me! Amy, tell me why! Tell me _why_ there has to be death! I don't like it! I _hate_ it! And yet-and yet people move on like it's no big deal! But it's not! I don't _want_ to feel this horrid pain in my heart! It _hurts! _It_ hurts!_" I sobbed. But then I jumped up, loosening my sword. There was movement at the foot of the base of the rock piles. Why hadn't I seen it before?!

I moved tentatively forward, creeping along slowly like an inchworm, pulling out my blade and dragging it behind me. When I peered into the darkness beyond me, I nearly wept with joy. Jakob was lying there on his stomach, groaning and moaning as if every bone in his body had been broken. But it hadn't; I knew because I ran to him and enveloped him in desperate hugs and kisses and tears the next second later and the response I got was a huge hug in return when he realized it was me.

"I…I thought you…I thought you had died!" I hunched my shoulders and sat on one knee, the other laid out before me, crying. Jakob patted my back reassuringly.

"Still. That's no reason to be so sad. I'll live," Jacob pointed out to me, the wound on his side and a mangled finger.

"Oh, Jakob…!" I moaned and told him about my injuries.

"Not nearly as bad as you, am I?" Jacob asked me.

"Who'd you find? Is it Mackenzie?!" Amy cried from directly above us.

"No! I-it's Jakob!" I responded and pulled Jake to his feet. He leapt up and we moved back into Amy's line of sight.

"Oh, thank God!" Amy sighed, and leaning back against the rocks, exhausted, then began to shake with tears. "Mackenzie…Oh, Mackenzie…,"

"You didn't find Mackenzie?" Jacob asked me. I shook my head. I had walked side to side of this cave and there had been no trace of her. But…then again…there _was_ that odd look Morgan had gotten on her face when I was speaking with Geoff. Maybe she saw something! "Come on! We're going back to Morgan and Geoff!" I exulted, forcing my good hand into Jakob's good grip and pulling him along back the way I had come. Morgan sat there trying to soothe Geoff in his pain.

"Brother, you are alive!" Jakob cried, running over to the crumpled Geoff and embracing him. I always wondered if these two had _ever_ gotten along, and apparently they had.

"Never better," Geoffrey replied sarcastically. I walked ominously into the light cast by the lantern. I went and kneeled by Morgan.

"You saw something out there," I pointed to where she had been staring, "what was it?" I asked. Morgan silently stood up and shook her head.

"We must free Geoffrey first. We will need the lantern," Morgan mumbled, walking over to the rock. She had tried moving it, to no avail. She had then dug a two-inch ditch all the way around. I could see a larger rock underneath the first. That rock was what was keeping Geoff's legs protected.

"Jake, think you're going to be able to move this boulder?" I gestured behind me.

"Yup," Jacob shooed me and Morgan out of the way and flexed his muscles before bending down to reach for a hand hold underneath the rock. For once, my don't-treat-me-like-a-little-woman instincts didn't stir, and I obeyed Jake, moving away.

Miraculously, Jakob lifted the rock about four inches off the ground before he barked at me and Morgan to move the second rock. We were startled and stood there for a second.

"DO IT!" Jakob snarled. We rushed forward and threw the lighter rock out of the way and pulled Geoff to safety just as the huge rock Jakob was holding up, was dropped back into the ground.

"That was _too_ close for _my_ comfort!" Geoffrey exhaled and bent down to examine his legs. They were a little black and blue, but otherwise, he was the most unhurt of us all. There were no open wounds that _I_ could atleast see on his body. He stood up and began stretching after _who knew_ how long of a time underneath the rocks. I prayed a silent prayer.

There was s soft touch on my arm.

"Come now. I'll show you what I saw," It was Morgan. And I knew she was not going to show me something I liked. She held up the lantern and led the way forward, ignoring the men's questions as to where they were moving anyway. I knew what I would see would not be a way out of the cave, to find Mackenzie alive, or a million manga. It was going to be death. I knew this already, for I could smell the disgusting scent of blood wafting toward me.

"Mackenzie…," Jakob's voice trailed off huskily when we stopped, but I did not lower my gaze to what the others saw.

"You…gotta look. It's the only way you'll ever be able to…let go," Geoffrey told me, making me sit on the ground. I stopped halfway. I peeked through my eyelids. What I saw was about the most revolting thing I could have imagined.

Mackenzie lay there, under a huge stalactite which had fallen from the ceiling. It had impaled her, and a rock lay stretched across her legs, breaking them both cleanly. I turned away and vomited. Mackenzie's face was horrifying. She had obviously felt great pain before dying. I don't think I wanted to know which had come first; the rock or the stalactite. I guess the rock. Mackenzie's eyes were open wide and staring up at the ceiling, her mouth wide open and fangs bore. Her hands lay in clenched circles of her own blood beside her. I looked down at her hooves, but only saw huge, bloated mangled parts. They were purple and black from lack of oxygen and blood flow. I didn't want to imagine the pain she went through before she died. I reached up to close Mackenzie's eyes and to soothe her wretched spirit.

"Katie, you shouldn't do that. Health reasons, you know?" Morgan said.

"I _need_ to do this," I snapped. Morgan gave me up as a lost cause. I covered my hand with my shirt sleeve and reached up and closed Mackenzie's eyes. I washed the blood from her face and shut her mouth. I folded her hands over her breasts. I could do nothing for her anymore except mourn for her spirit, glad she was in a better place.

All of a sudden, I began to howl and moan louder than I had ever in my entire life. I draped across Mackenzie's chest and shook with remorse and grief.

"It could've been any of us! _Any one of us!_" I howled. "Why her?!" I sobbed. "We need you, Mackenzie! Now-more than ever before! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

I must've looked like a train had hit me, looking so pathetic and miserable, that none of the others wanted to be near me. They were all silently crying and praying on their own.

"Look at her…looks like she's just sleeping…!" Geoffrey choked back, swallowing a painful lump in his throat. "You bitch! Wake up! Wake-up!"

"Mackenzie! Mackenzie! Oh, my dear, sweet, lovable Mackenzie. None of us ever really appreciated your strengths, and now we'll never get the chance! You wanted to show me the beauty of your world, and yet I only see death in the future, as foretold by your own! I miss you so horribly that my heart is breaking on the inside! I am here with nothing more than an injured arm and leg. What an awful way to die! Come back!" I was still stretched across Mackenzie's chest when I felt Morgan's arm grasp my shoulder. I pulled away, unable to do anything else but cry out in pain for the friend I had lost.

She began to sing a hymn. And the fact that there was no music; indeed no sound at all except for the drumming of my heart, made it all the more painful to listen to. But it was so beautiful!

_"Lay down…your sweet and weary head. _

_Night is falling…you've come to journey's end…! _

_Sleep now. Dream of the ones that came before! _

_They are calling…from across a distant shore…! _

_Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face? _

_Soon you will see-all of your fears will pass away…! _

_Safe in my arms…you're only sleeping… _

_What can you see on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? _

_Across the sea-a pale moon rises…! _

_The ships have come to carry you home… _

_And all will turn-to silver glass… _

_A light on the water-all souls pass… _

_All fades into the world of night. Through shadows falling- _

_Out of memory and time! _

_Don't say-we have come now-to the end…! _

_White shores are calling-you and I will meet again… _

_And you'll be here in my arms…just sleeping… _

_What can you see-on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? _

_Across the sea-a pale moon rises! _

_The ships have come to carry you home… _

_And all will turn-to silver glass. A light on the water… _

_Grey ships pass…into the West…" _

By the time Morgan had finished singing her tribute to Mackenzie, I was crying in her arms, holding her like I would my mother, had she been there and truly had the _privilege _to have known Mackenzie.

"Shh…you're going to be OK…," Morgan cooed.

"You think so?" I looked up at her. "You really think we can make it out of this cave alive?"

"Yes. I know you better than that. It's just not like you to give up on us all of a sudden. _You will go on!" _Morgan told me. She stood up and held her arm out to me. "The only question now is **'will you take the first step'**…?"


	22. Our New Leader

**Mackentosh**: I'M DEAD?!

**Author: **_backs away slowly_ Ehehe…;;

**Mackentosh: **_whirls around _YOU HEARTLESS BTCH!!!

**Hanna: **_pops out of nowhere and pokes Mackentosh in the side _

**Mackentosh: **_collapses _

**Hanna: **_smirks and vanishes _

**Katie: **WTF? o.O

**Author: **I had her programmed with a shut down button in case of rampaging.

**Katie: **Why…?

**Author: **Because I knew that when I killed her she would go on a rampage, of course! Teehee!

**Sarah: **And you do this kinda crap, because…???

**Author: **I like to be mysterious! .>

I hesitated. Not because I didn't want to go on; it was the picture that was being painted before my eyes. Jacob and Geoffrey towered over Morgan although she was atleast two years older than them both. The three of them were standing there, grouped together and looking strangely historical.

"Come on, Stoopid. If you give up now, who's gonna keep me from kicking this guy's ass?" Geoff asked, jerking his thumb at Jacob who playfully punched Geoff on the arm. I cracked a tear-stained smile and grabbed Morgan's arm.

"Yes. I will take the first step. I will go on, knowing that Mackenzie will be watching over us!" I chirped. My friends embraced me at once, making me cry out because of my arm. I took a step back and stepped on something hard. I looked down and saw the money-case enclosed in Mackenzie's hand. I bent down and picked it up.

"Surely, you will understand, eh Mackenzie?" I asked, kissing Mackenzie's forehead softly then taking the bag and tightening it next to my sword. I blessed Mackenzie and turned around, ready to move forward with my life. "Well. We got three comrades over the rock mountain back here. And we're going to need to elect a new team leader. We need to make decisions stat. What-will-we-do?"

"Well, I say we go see if we can help the others through first," Jacob suggested.

"A capital idea, I say, eh wot?" I chirruped, putting on my happy mask again. Geoff laid his hands on my shoulders.

"It's OK. You don't have to try so hard. If you must cry; cry. When you must laugh; laugh. You are-though I sometimes doubt it-a mere mortal. That is what we mortals do-feel pain," he told me all philosophical-like. I hit him.

"Great! Now you sound like Confucious!" I cackled. "Wait! 'When I must laugh; I laughed! WAHAHAHA!"

Jakob and Morgan were soon laughing along with me as I lead the group back to the place where I had left Amy.

"What's going on over there?" Amy called from the top of the mountain. I could see her shoulders now. She had made about a one and one-half a foot hole in the wall. It was good for starters.

"We're just having a good time!" Morgan replied. Amy cocked an eyebrow as if she seriously doubted anything _good_ could come of this moment, but I trusted that there would be many more of these moments to come.

"Need some help?" I asked, raising the lantern up high.

"Sure could. This hole's not big enough for Hanna or me to fit through. I think _Nich_ could though…," Amy trailed off. There was a sound of something climbing up the opposite rock face and soon enough, Nich flew through the opening and started rolling down the opposite side of the rock. Amy grabbed his tail and pulled him back through the hole.

"Idiot!" she snarled. "What if you had caused another rock slide?!"

"Hmph!" Nich turned away from Amy in disgust and climbed back down their side of the pile.

"Nich, you OK, pal?" I heard Hanna ask Nich in a muffled voice.

"Morgan, why don't you go and help them?" I asked chipperly, pushing the lantern in the general direction. She gave me a glare.

"Why do _I_ gotta be the one-!"

"Because you know very well that I'm totally helpless!" I snapped before she could snap back. She grumbled and began to gingerly pick her way up the stones. I turned to the guys behind me. "You guys need anything from the cave?" I asked.

"Well…we could go on a search to find our swords since Morgan, Jake, and I don't have ours…," Geoff trailed off in a mildly embarrassed sort of way.

"Sure. I'll help you," I said.

"Cool. I think I saw mine by the rocks where you first found me," Geoff replied.

"And mine is where you found me!" Jacob exclaimed.

"Mine first!" Geoffrey pouted. The two guys grabbed my hands and pulled me gently toward the rock Geoff had laid trapped under. I felt no emotions toward the two so I was pretty much OK with anything they did. (A/N: I kinda suck at the whole romance thing anyway…Oh, and for those of you who've read Oblivious Feelings on don't contradict me!)

"So; somewhere around here?" I asked, raising the lantern to cast a wider range of light onto the area. We searched amongst the rocks for several minutes, me kicking some of the smaller rocks aside with my good leg, until I found it lying bent beneath a layer of dirt. "Got it!" I announced, rubbing around in the soft earth until lifted it up. It was scratched and dull and bent, but otherwise, quite useable.

"Uh…thanks. I think…," Geoff trailed off his words of gratitude when he saw what kind of shape his blade was in. I couldn't help but smile at the look on his face.

"Now, it's time to go find mine!" Jakob said grabbing my hand and jerking me back to where we had started.

We found Jacob's sword sitting lodged, upright in between two rocks. It was wedged in there pretty tightly until, with an almighty _'crack'_ it came free, the tip of it still lodged between the stones. Geoffrey rolled around with laughter.

"Ooh, stop being such a fink!" I snapped, consoling Jacob and kicking Geoff at the same time. He yelped and stood up. I looked up at Morgan and Amy who had made quite an improvement from what Amy had started. Amy had crawled through and was helping Hanna come through. I saw that part of her right red hair was sticking to the side of her face; evidence of a gash on the side there. She began to carefully pick her way down the rocks toward us as Nich climbed through. He was fully unharmed except for some scratches which were oozing blood. Huh. Go figure.

While we waited for our companions to join us at the foot of the base, we just chatted a little until they joined us.

"OK. What's the next step?" Amy asked the last one to get off the rock face.

"I think you'll need to see something before we move on…," I trailed off miserably.

Sarah took a quick roll call. "Where's Mackenzie?" she asked in a worried tone of voice. I shook my head and lead the somber way toward where the body lay.

When we got there, it was as I had predicted; tears and blood. My friends mourned for the loss of Mackenzie at such a crucial time period in history. I re-cleaned Mackenzie's injuries and stood up.

"We need a new leader," I said simply.

The others, for some reason, moved away from me and grouped into a huddle. When I began hopping around them, trying to force my way in, they kept me blocked out. Then they turned around and faced me.

"We choose you," Geoff told me.

"_WHAT?!_"

"You will be the one to lead us," Sarah repeated.

"_WHAT?!" _

"In Mackenzie's stead you will be the one who will lead us to Conal Kurach…to our ultimate doom," Nich explained.

I shook my head, letting it all sink in.

"But I'm not the oldest!" I protested.

"And you're _definitely_ not the wisest," Amy quickly pointed out.

"But you're special. You will lead us no matter what, and we will follow you wherever you may go," Jacob then kneeled before me. Soon after, I had a procession of fellows standing beneath me. I just took it like it was, terrified and horribly new to the idea. But I took it, and then wept.

**RAC: **I'm sorry for not updating on Saturday, you guys! I went to an anime convention, so, my fellow con-goers can vouch for me when I say, I was too caught up in the moment--and too far from a computer--to update. ;; I'll post a link to my photobucket account with all my pics on it later, OK?


	23. Lurking in the Darkest Corners

**Mackentosh's Ghost: **_goes up to Heaven _Daaaaaaaaamn youuuuuu…! _Vanishes _

**Katie: **YES! No more training of hell!! _Dances _

**Sarah: **You WERE just crying on Momo a second ago. You know that, right?

**Katie: **_glare_

**Geoff: **Wimp.

**Katie: **_tackles him to the ground_

**Sarah: **_taking bets on who's gonna be the winner _

**Mackentosh's Ghost: **_suddenly appears _THIS DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T COME BACK AND HAUNT YOU:D

I stood up after much weeping and comforts from my friends.

"Yes. I will lead you. Do all of you have your weapons?" I asked them.

They showed me their blades. I nodded my approval.

"Good. Now onward; we will go this way. We must first search the remnants of the wagon I found to see if there was any supplies left in it," I lead them to the crushed caravan and the body of the dead horse. As we milled about in its blood, we recovered four packs; mine, Hanna's, Jakob's, and Sarah's. The others were hopelessly lost. I scooped up the medicine bag I had found as well.

"Anyone know how to do this thingie?" I asked, pointing to all our wounds. Hanna stepped forward.

"I always wanted to play nurse!" she chirped. She went through the procedure of disinfecting all our wounds and using the bits of rope, used long sticks to hold our limbs out stiff and straight so they wouldn't heal crooked.

I stood up, ready to address my group. "OK, everyone. From here on in, all decisions will be made lightly! No one strays from the group unless _I _say so!" I clenched my jaw tight, afraid of what might happen.

We went on from there, past Mackenzie's body with me holding the lantern high above my head to search for a clear path. Jakob and Geoff flanked me on either side, Amy and Sarah brought up the rear guard, and Nich and Morgan were beside either of them.

It was a quiet journey, and cold. I shivered. For once in what seemed a long while, I was OK with the where we set up camp: in a cold, damp corner.

As I scanned my friends' faces, I saw grief still etched into them. I myself was near tears. I didn't know how long it was going to take us to get out of this horrid place. Just before I was about to lay myself to sleep, I felt a hand tap my shoulder lightly. It was dim, and I had put the lantern out to save oil, but I could tell it was Jake standing there.

I wondered what he wanted, so I got up and followed him away from the campsite as quietly as I could. No one was awake, so when we settled behind a bend in the path, Jake spoke aloud, without care.

"Katie…I've wanted to tell you something that's been on my mind for a while now…," he told me. I cocked an eyebrow, all ears. He leaned down toward me and gripped my shoulders lightly in his hands. I felt my face flush to a deep red color, and I was glad it was dark. What was he going to say? I turned my head. "Katie…,"

That's when Geoffrey came around the corner. Or atleast, I hoped it was him. I wanted someone to break this awkward silence that had been growing between me and Jake.

Geoff was staring at the two of us, a rather blank expression on his face.

"Geoff…," I began. I felt Geoff's burning stare move through me and into Jake, who gave no implication that he felt anything.

Geoff looked at his hands. "Erm…I mean-is it me?" he asked me quietly. "I mean, it's OK if you're serious about this. I'm happy for you, but…You could atleast tell me _why._" Geoff said, coming closer and looking down on me.

"Huh?" I felt horrible. It dawned on me that I was stuck in the middle of a three-way love triangle. _'Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_' I yelled in my mind.

"Tell me _why_! Give me the truth, _now_!" Geoff barked, a little louder than necessary.

I pushed away from Jake's grip and shoved the two angry men away from each other. "Geoff, _please_!" I begged. "Be a little quieter. I don't want the others to wake up!"

"I don't give a damn about the others, Katie! Give me your answer! Do you feel for me as I do for you?" Geoff asked.

I couldn't come right out and say it: that I liked them the same. I mean, since that was the case that meant I didn't _really_ like either of them, right?

"What are you talking about?" I asked coldly, trying to block out the heated gazes coming at me from both sides. It was my turn to run the gauntlet. I needed to buy myself some more time, so I had to push these guys away. Jakob stepped in front of Geoff.

"Stop. You're troubling Katie," he said.

"Mind your own business. I _won't_ say it twice," Geoff pulled out his sword, which I just noticed he'd kept with him. I wondered if he was going to sleep with that…

"Oh, yeah?! Well, I'm not some dumb animal like you usually fight!" Jake snarled, shoving Geoff. He took a step back, but otherwise, didn't falter. They backed apart and I knew they were going to spar.

"Stop it!" I cried, too afraid to stand between them. God, I hated myself. I was such a coward when it came to matters of the heart. I backed up against the wall and looked on as they ran at each other.

There was a loud _crack_ and Geoff and Jake were crouching. Geoff had a bruise on the side of his face, and Jake's shirt sleeve was torn a millimeter away from his throat. I gulped. As they made to charge again, I saw Geoff swoon. His wounds! How could I have forgotten?

All pretenses to hell, I ran as fast as I could as Geoff was about to make all he could off Jake's weakness. I slapped Geoff with all my might, turning around and falling afterwards. Geoffrey and I both stared at one another, open-mouthed with shock.

"Oh…," I muttered, staring at my stinging hand. I went to go over to Jake, but he pushed me away. "You…can hit me back," I told him. Though I couldn't see it, Geoff was crying, just a bit though. One tear slid down his cheek as he stood up to go back to camp.

"Heh, I understand. Sorry I bothered you," he told me casually. I watched his back as he walked back to the camp, cupping his cheek. _'Was I actually **dumped by Katie? Guess I need to leave for a bit…' **_

Geoff was now out of my sight, but I heard a tremendous roar as something stirred in the cavern. I pulled Jake up and put one of his arms around me to support his weight. I hurried the way Geoff had gone, hoping to find him unharmed as another roar echoed deep within the mountain.

"Get up! Get up! Something's happening!" I bellowed, barging into the camp. I gently put Jakob onto my blanket and hopped around, getting my armor on and barking orders at everyone else. "Something's here!"

"OK, everybody up! We're moving out as of NOW. Something's coming, and I _don't_ plan on becoming dinner!!" I scanned everyone's faces, to see if they were going to heed my first leader-like order. They stared at me for while, blinking like deer caught in the headlights. "Well, what are you waiting for? RUN!!" I bellowed. Amy and Hanna nodded their heads, jaws clenched. I left the lantern with the group as I turned around and walked a few paces into the abyss.

When I was alone, I was alone like nowhere else. Even in my own mind, empty as it was, that came nowhere near what it felt like here. I looked ahead of me, trying to see, but I couldn't _see_ anything. I could practically _feel_ the air swirling around my mouth, could _hear_ every drip-drop of water. It was scary, and I didn't know what had made the terrifying roar only moments ago.

"Katie? Come back!!"

I heard someone call me, and I turned around, rushing to be with my friends again. I looked around the camp with trembling eyes. Geoff was still gone. "Where's Geoffrey?!" I asked quietly.

"Hm? Geoff…?" At my quiet, terrified statement, they all looked around them, but the bandit leader was gone. He was nowhere to be found, and I knew it was my fault.

"Geoff? GEOOOOFF!!" Amy cried. Her call echoed off the high ceilings, bouncing around, only to fade silenced, into the distance. Then another piercing roar boomed out, rather close.

"What kind of monster is out there?" Amy cried over the cry of it.

"I don't know!" I replied. _'Oh, dearest Mackenzie. How I wish you were here with me now!'_ I thought desperately. Jake sat up, blearily rubbing his eyes and holding his arm.

"What's that noise?" he asked. I held back tears ad jerked him to his feet, despite his insult when I did so.

"COME ON!!" I snarled at everyone else.

Sarah grabbed the lantern and dashed in front of our party, leading the way; casting a strip of narrow yellow light onto the path.

We ran for what seemed like forever before we came to an enormous cavern that let in barely enough light that shone down upon a crystalline lake that flowed through the mountain. It was frozen, and I could see my breath in front of me, but still…the cries had stopped.

"Come carefully…," I whispered, stepping lightly to the edge of the frozen water. All of a sudden, with an enormous _crack_ the ice was split open and a double-headed serpent flew out. I jumped backwards, tripping on Jakob's foot and sending up both slamming onto the stone.

"Dammit, Katie, you're heavier than you look! Get offa me!" he snapped. I threw him a scathing look and moved away, back into the little circle my friends had formed.

The snake was hideous. Its large, putrid green eyes stared down at us; its black scales glittered in the cold evening while its enormous body slithered out onto the stone pavement.

And all the while I gripped my sword heavily in my hands. It was like a burden I needed to shed. I stared the monstrous beast in the eyes and it lashed its tongue at me in a challenge. I gave it the slightest of nods before running full-out at it, gathering my chi around me.

"HIII-YAAAH!!!!" I bellowed, shoving my sword forward. The chi flew out from it and hit the snake right in its abdomen. It fell back a ways before gathering its strength and coming at me.

I dove sideways and rolled into a crouch as it made a bite for me. Its teeth caught nothing but stone as it made lash after lash for me, using both of its heads.

I was dancing the dance of death, narrowly escaping each time. I knew I was living on borrowed time until someone else could make a move.

"Ho, ho, ho! Try and catch me!" I chirruped, hopping once more onto a high rock, away from the serpent's jaws. I leapt off the rock, making for Nich who was signaling for me to come that way, when something flew in front of me.

It was one of the monster's mouths, and it was wide open; wet and inviting.

"YAAAAAH!!!" I cried as its teeth closed around me.

The monster gulped and closed its eyes contentedly.

"NO!! YOU BASTARD!" Amy roared; stabbing the creature's flailing tail with her sword. She twisted it for extra measure, taking most of her strength and snapping the end off with a satisfying grin. She watched the blood wash over her shoes with tears coming to her eyes. The snake gave an almighty shriek, and slithered back into the icy depths from whence it came.

"I…I can't believe she's gone…," Hanna muttered darkly, stabbing her blade into the hard ground; which was a feat, seeing how it was stone and all. She kneeled and prayed for me.

Jakob and Sarah knelt with her, the prince regretting that the last thing he ever told me was that I was fat.

All of a sudden, there was the sound of rock crumbling and the snake burst out from the water once again. Nich and Morgan got closer together in order to avenge me, but were surprised when it spit me out!

"Katie!" Amy cried jovially.

From the shadows, Geoffrey was watching this scene with mild-manners until he saw me go flying through the air and heading straight for the rock wall. He leapt up in an attempt to catch me.

"Geoff!" I shrieked in alarm, holding my arms out. He let me fall, and I hit my head with a loud _crack_ on the stone. "What the _hell_ was that all about, you dumb ass jerk?!" I bellowed, holding my throbbing neck and back.

The demon turned its heads towards the sound of my yell and eyed Geoff quizzically, wondering where this stranger thing had come from. Deciding that it was nice and plump looking (Geoff: HEY!) it reared back and dove for us.

Hanna gasped, and brought her hands up to her eyes, fearing we would get chomped in half. _'Dear God, let them live!!' _After Hanna sadly thought these things, Geoff and I came pelting toward her at breakneck speed with the serpent-demon trailing after us. Tears were streaming down Geoffrey's cheeks as he ran with me on his back.

It wasn't because he was crying though; it was because he was running so fast! (Geoff: no it's not! Dammit, you're heavy!!)

"MOVE IT!!" I bellowed.

Immediately, everyone followed Geoff's lead and ran after us as fast as they could, pounding every stone that got in their way with blasts of chi. Nich carried the lantern and ran to the front.

With the random shots going off all around me, and linked my arms over Geoff's shoulders and squeezed my eyes shut. The roaring of the monster and the sound of falling rock was all around me as we blew a path around corners. One wrong move and we could have caused another rock-slide.

"What's goin ON?!" Nich yelled over the renewed shrieks of the snake.

"Later! RUN! Or you'll be EATEN!!" Amy replied, picking up the pace.

It felt like we had been running for miles being followed until we came near a bend in the road.

"Hey, turn around!" I said.

"What?! Katie, are you NUTS?!" Geoff snarled.

"There's a crack in that boulder back there!" I told him.

"But the snake…,"

"JUST DO IT!!"

**RAC: **I apologize for not updating on Saturday, which is generally my update day! ;; To al the 310 people who've scanned this story, why not throw in a review or two for a happy-go-lucky authoress? ().()

Oh! And before I forget, here's that link to my Ikasucon photobucket account! http://s34.


	24. What're Your Thoughts About Love, Amy?

**All: **_fall over anime-style _

**Mackentosh: **_standing there all smug-like _

**Gaia: **_pops outta nowhere _HEY DERRR EVRRUN! Gaia's here!

**All: **_trying to shove him into a steel-enforced box _

**Gaia: **Ouch! What're you guys doing? That hurts!

**Nich: **_Comes in _WTF's going on here? O.O _sees Katie sitting on Gaia's feet as they tie him up _

**Katie: **o.o;; Uhh…It's not what it seems?

**Nich: **_runs from the room crying _HOW COULD YOU KATIE?!

**Katie: **_chases after him _WAIT, MY LOVE!

**Remaining: **WTFH? O.O

Reluctantly, we turned to face the snake demon. It smiled triumphantly, flailing its tongue in the air at us. I did the same to it. Amy eyed the flailing stub of a tail with a smirk.

"This path is small. We should be able to make a sharp turn without the snake getting us. It should get stuck," Sarah explained, her eyes making calculations in the cave.

"Ooh, Sarah…You'd better be right!"

She was, of course. She was a math genius. I wish I was. I'm horrible at math. I mean, sure I got a C this one time and I got grounded because of it, but-(Amy: GET BACK TO THE STORY! Me: Oh, right!)

We'd made it inside the crack with just room enough to spare. I could feel the thing's putrid breath on my back as Geoff ran and threw us inside the tiny crack in the boulder. The snake tried getting one of its heads in as well.

"Oh, _no_ you don't!" we yelled, and began tossing stones at it. One of them hit the monster right in one of its eyes, and it howled, pulling its head out and thrashing its tail against the wall.

"Not again!" I wailed as rocks tumbled against the opening. Only Nich's lantern kept me from freaking out. I don't think I would've been able to handle another black-out. Jakob pushed me away from Geoff, and then sat next to me.

"Geoff.-!" I began excitedly, hoping to thank him properly this time. I was met only with a cold stare and a grunt. Then, Geoff snuck away behind a jagged corner in the little alcove. "Uhh…"

"What _was _that just now?" Morgan asked, helping Sarah sit down and taking the lantern.

"A…monster of monsters…," Jake mumbled, causing everyone to jump. "The _Basilisk_…Oooh, I'm done for…There will be no heir…the city will fall into ruin…Oooh, woe is me!" he sobbed. Amy threw a stone at his head, which renewed an argument between the two of them.

I flinched and crawled over and looked into his face and pushed a strand out of it. I smacked him.

"Don't…Don't you _ever_ talk like that!" I told him. He blinked at me with his big brown eyes and I felt tears prick my own. All of a sudden, he leapt up and grabbed a stone and stood in front of a smooth stretch of wall.

"The Basilisk is, in legend, supposed to guard the _exit_ of this mountain. Many, many times, I have sent my own men to attempt to take this short-cut through this mountain pass, but none ever returned, thanks to the Basilisk. He guards the exit with his life. It is how he feeds, you see. He devours the men who enter his lair."

"Weren't you about to die a second ago?" Sarah asked curiously. She was still in the position of looking as if she were going to snap something in half. I only hoped it wouldn't be my spine.

"Does this thing have any weaknesses?" Nich asked.

"Yes; only one. I believe that to be…salt. We need to rub a large amount into some opening in its body, and it should do it in. Like a poison." (A/N: DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS! I KNOW ITS WEAKNESS IS THE CROW OF THE ROOSTER, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY STUPID ROOSTERS!! D: )

"So, we could use the tail?" Morgan asked, nodding thoughtfully. I grinned.

"I'll do it!" I announced. _'For Mackenzie…'_

"Katie, you don't have to!" my friends cried.

"Katie…," Jake kneeled down and took my uninjured hand. I gulped and flushed red, looking at him. "I wish you the best of luck!"

"DAMMIT, JAKOB! STOP BEING AN ASS!!" I snarled, taking a rock and bashing him on the head. "Plus, I have the most motive! That damn thing ate me!" I snapped. No one could argue with that.

Geoffrey poked his head curiously around the boulder, intent on listening, but not to be seen.

Amy loomed up behind _this_ guy and yanked his hair back.

"Hey…there's another _man_, ain't there?" she asked.

"Huh?" Geoff asked angrily, yanking his ponytail out of Amy's grip.

"To take Katie's place…and die?"

"Peh."

"Oh, _that's_ right. You were dumped. I heard it all, Lover Boy,"

Geoff gagged and fell over."

"I, who have watched over her all this time…must admit the truth…Though we have fought, I will still protect her; for that's what friends will do," She later went on to say, "Greater love, has no one man than this: That he lay down his life for his friends. I'm going with her. You'll do well to remember that, Geoff, ma' boy. Just pay her no mind," She said, and left.

"Hey, were you talkin' with Geoff?" Nich asked as she rejoined our group. Amy waved him off, and cast a glance in my direction.

"Sarah?" I asked. "Get the salted pork out."

Sarah unlatched a bag and pulled out one little wrapped package of meat from its depths. She gave it to me and I gripped it in my hand. It was heavy. "Thanks everyone. We'll be back. I _promise_." And with that, I unsheathed my blade and stepped into the cavern with Amy.

_'Hmph, well I do mind; throwing away her life just for us; the little _**fools**_!'_ Geoff thought angrily. He stood up, after Amy and I left through the opening.

"Where's Katie…?" he asked finally.

"She's gone, I'm afraid," Sarah explained. She began to explain the situation to him while Geoff continued to glare angrily around at each remaining member of the caravan.

When Sarah had gotten Geoff up-to-date, he grabbed Nich by the shirt of his collar.

"YOU LET HER GO **_ALONE?!_**" he bellowed.

"Now, now. This isn't the time for friends to be fighting!" Morgan snapped, plucking Geoff's fingers off Nich.

"Friends!? What friends!?" the bandit snarled, making for Nich again. Morgan suddenly leapt up from behind and knocked him out with a rock. He went limp and nearly toppled onto the lantern.

"I think the plan's a go, girls, Katie's gonna need back-up," Morgan said, triumphantly stomping on Geoff's back.

Meanwhile…

"C'mon, Kate," Amy said once we were alone. She took my wrist; both my hands being occupied by deadly weapons, and pulled me back towards the way we had come.

We felt our way along using our hands and feet, ears and smell. I could smell the horrid serpent's blood as we neared the place where Amy had cut off the tail. Amy held onto my wrist and felt along one wall, which was slick and wet.

Every now and then, I would look over my shoulder, just to reassure myself that the Basilisk would not come up for a sneak-shot. All I caught was a glimpse of gold. But that quickly faded with a slithering sound; from what direction, I could not tell.

And Then…

Jake had convinced the others that he was well enough to fight the Basilisk, and so he was standing up with the rest of them, tightening up his belt and stomping his feet to get his blood flowing.

My "back-up squad" was hot on my trail, though I myself hardly knew it. I was entirely focused on fighting, so paid no attention.

"Now, be ready to strike. We don't know where the Basilisk is. We don't want to accidentally attack Amy or Katie," Morgan announced as soon as they'd stepped out from the hole we'd made when I'd left.

Amy and Me

I flinched and whirled around when I heard a small stone skid down beside me. I shot off a blast of chi that lit the cavern for just a moment before colliding with the wall, creating a crater. Bigger rocks began to rain down from above, several already landing unsettlingly close to my feet.

"Idiot!" Amy cried, grabbing my upper arm in her hand and running away from the edge. A large boulder landed where I was standing just seconds ago. I thanked the gods above I had a friend like Amy as a companion. I hoped-no, prayed-that I would never lose her…If I did, I don't know how I would've…

I shook my head of these thoughts and ran along in stride with Amy, appreciating the fact that Mackenzie had put us through hell back in RBP. I frowned when I remembered I wouldn't be seeing her again…

Behind us, the last of the rocks were skidding to a halt, so Amy and I stopped for a break.

"Y-You OK?" I asked, leaning casually against the wall of the cavern as if nothing had happened. Amy smiled and looked me right in the eye…Something she had not been able to accomplish beforehand. I hadn't noticed how much she had grown…It hurt me to realize that I hadn't even bothered to take notice in such changes…It brought tears to my eyes and Amy wiped them away for me. (BGM is a sad Inuyasha tune. Inspired this part. sob )

"What's your problem, you moron?" She asked me, wiping her hand on her leg.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about…life," I muttered, staring at the wet stones beneath my feet. Well, of what I could _see_ beneath my feet. But this passage wasn't as dark as I had presumed most of the cave would be.

"Oh…It's all rather hard to take in, isn't it?" Amy asked me.

I nodded.

"Amy…have you thought about…anyone special? Anyone…you might be able to fall in love with?" I asked.

Amy got that all-knowing gleam in her eye as she turned to look at me. I lifted my embarrassed gaze, ready to tell her to brush off my comment, when I saw that her gleam had left, to be reflected by glowing amber eyes and black scales…

The larger portion of the Fellowship-Before the Rock Slide

"Did you hear that?" Sarah asked, gripping Morgan's shoulder. Everyone stopped and listened intently. It sounded like something was-

"Falling…," Geoff whispered, paling. He sheathed his sword and started to run forward, only to be hit by a small ball of chi from behind. "What the _hell_?!" the bandit leader asked angrily, jumping up to figure out who had shot him. It was Jake. He stepped forward and grabbed Geoff's shoulders tightly.

"You…shouldn't go galavanting off into the dark on your _own_. For the love of God, won't you ever just stop to think about how others would react…If you were to die? What about…your better half?" Jake began to whisper, "What about Katie…?" (A/N: It's not supposed to sound like a yaoi moment! X.x)

Geoff stared up at the prince. Jake was taller by 4 inches, though it hardly counted. He was right; Katie would probably find a way to murder a dead corpse if he went off and got himself _eaten_. And especially without her permission.

"Whatever! Get off me, dude. I think they're getting the wrong impression!" Geoff snarled, pushing Jake off him.

Jake turned around and saw that everyone had the dark blue anime lines down one side of their faces; meaning, it looked like they were about to be sick.

Amy and Katie

I turned around, and came nose-to-nose with the Basilisk. I could feel its hot, putrid breath fill my nostrils, the color and size of its body filled my entire mind, but for the life of me, I couldn't move. My mouth hung open at the sight of the snake.

It reared its head back and I let loose a piercing scream that tore at my throat and resounded off the high ceilings and bounced back to me from the slick walls. My ears popped and little black dots danced in my vision when the Basilisk came at me.

"KATIE, MOVE IT!!" Amy bellowed, my scream still pounding her brain. Despite my moment of petrification, Amy had found the courage to move and tackle me like a linebacker, sending me skidding across the ground.

My voice caught and I felt Amy move away from me; and for the moment, I ignored the angry red mark on my forehead as I watched the Basilisk dig its jaws from the ground and look around.

"Use the meat! The _meat!_" Amy whispered heatedly into my ear, yanking me to my feet with my bad arm. I gasped in pain; almost passing out.

_'But I can't…pass out. Not here…Everyone's counting on me…I have to stand…up!'_ But my body wasn't listening to me. All I could do was sit there and watch as the beast of the mountain came for me once again, an angry yell bursting from its jaws.


	25. The Snake Charmer

**Author:** _Cracks knuckles_ Here I go. My first Final Fantasy fanfic and I am going to make it good! ****_Hands hover over keyboard_

**Gaia:** Then why haven't you started?

**Author:** I'm gonna… _Sweat drop_

**Gaia** WELL?

**J.K. Rowling:** _Flies in window on broom._ So. You got writer's block 'eh?

**Author:** Well apparently, there's nothing on the page!

**Katie:** Teehee _plays with tassels on J.K.'s cloak. _

**J.K. Rowling:** Stop!

**Author:** _Screams at Katie_ Stop! And you're not helping me, now leave!

**J.K. Rowling:** _Claps hands and disappears in a cloud of green smoke, which turns into a face and says, HA HA YOU SUCK!_

**Author: **AHH! _Attacks smoke_

**Gaia:** She wasn't much help was she? But I have her broom! _Gets on broom and attempts to fly around room; ends up rocketing out the window. It's a Firebolt_

The larger portion of the Fellowship

"Hurry, you guys! She's this way! _I hear the Basilisk!_" Morgan cried.

They had heard the cry of the Basilisk through the walls of the cave. It only made their hearts pound in their chests. Their going was slower than what it should have been, for they had to maneuver around the fallen rocks I had knocked from the ceiling and walls. The area was bathed in moonlight from the night sky above. My companions scrunched their eyes; they hadn't seen any form of natural light for who knew _how_ long?

Blasting through the rocks was no easy task. I had created _quite_ the little landslide, though I hadn't noticed when I'd been running from it myself. The moonlight hurt their eyes as my friends shattered their ways through the impending stone, sending shrapnel flying in all directions which only hindered others and cause their aim to waver as they brushed the bits of stone out of their faces and arms, scratches appearing almost instantly in every spot on their bodies.

The last of the moonlit area was littered only with stones small enough that the Fellowship was able to pass over them with ease, for which they were grateful; another abominable screech shattered the icy stillness and made the adrenaline in their bodies push them to their limits in running.

Morgan had become the honorary leader in my stead, and was the fastest runner, though the shortest, and led the charge; holding the lantern high above her head, illuminating the darkness. It felt better to be back in the dark than it had been to be in the moonlit area, and the familiarity of their surroundings slowly came back to them.

"Katie! We're coming!!" Hanna yelled, adjusting the straps of her pack so that it was held tightly against her back and not bouncing around. Her muscular legs propelled her forward with practiced ease, although she wasn't used to running this far. _'Please, don't let us be too late!' _

What they saw next was horrifying enough to stop her in her tracks.

Further into the darkness, and lit by the lantern, the giant Basilisk that hunted in the mountains lay coiled and ready to sink its fangs into Amy who was running valiantly toward it, sword glowing an astonishingly bright orange.

"**_KATIE!!_**" Jake and Geoff yelled at the same time, seeing me, motionless, around the Basilisk's body. They shot each other a heated glare before running for me.

"YOU FOOLS! WE HAVE TO SAVE AMY!!" Morgan bellowed angrily. But the prince and the bandit weren't listening.

Sarah smacked her forehead and cursed love to hell before running full-out to help Amy destroy the snake.

Her yell had brought to Amy's attention that her friends were here. They would save her, help her, and _destroy_ the monster. She smirked evilly at the snake and met its head with a crushing slash that knocked three of its T-Rex sized fangs out of its mouth before flipping over backwards and landing nimbly on her feet. What an amazing move!

"Amy, MOVE!" Sarah bellowed the first of my companions to reach Amy. She bolted just in time as Sarah sent a Cyclone Wave towards the snake; me and Amy momentarily forgotten, being entirely consumed by Sarah's attack which was greater than any pain it had ever endured.

Blood was not now only flowing freely from the Basilisk's mouth but from huge gashes cut from its huge body. It shrieked at the top of its lungs before recoiling in pain and withdrawing into the shadows.

"Sarah, how'd you learn that _move?_" Nich asked incredulously.

Sarah shook her head and shot her companions a smirk. "While you lot were getting fat, I was out practicing. Looks like it came in handy, too."

"Come on, let's go see what's wrong with Katie," Amy told them, appearing at Sarah's shoulder, blood splattered across her face and arms, her long sword resting against her shoulder. She looked utterly amazing covered in blood. So strong and powerful… (A/N: Wait a minute! It's not an ecchi fic either! WTF?! .)

Judging by the tone of her voice, my friends had assumed I was dead, so they followed Amy silently over to me. Imagine their surprise when I moved! Better yet, I was crying. It showed I was alive, but I was in neither of the guys' arms who were sitting with me, comforting me in more ways than one by just being there with me.

"You're alive!" Morgan cried, leaping onto me and enveloping me in her arms with a happy smile plastered on her face. One by one, the others followed suit. They made attempts to stop my crying, but I kept on plowing ahead.

None of them could figure out why I wouldn't _stop_. I buried my hands in my arms and wept silently, refusing to look at them; the meat and my sword lay forgotten on either side of me; a protective barrier that said 'keep out.'

"Please, Kate. Open up. We want to help you. _No matter what, we'll always be here for you_," Amy whispered in my ear, stepping over my barrier and holding me in her arms. I gulped and choked back a fresh wave of tears. She's always been like this. I could never hold anything back when she acted this way.

"Is that...t-true?" I asked, giving her an attempted glare, but failing dismally. I succeeded in merely making her chuckle at my runny nose and tear-stained face with an angry expression.

"Of course!" She chirruped, setting me up again and sliding my sword back into its sheath. "We'll never leave you."

I couldn't hold it back any longer. I leapt up and gave each and every one of my friends a big, wet kiss. Even Amy.

"AIIIIIIEEEE!! GET OFF ME!!" She yelled. I smiled happily and gazed at my friends with love. Jake and Geoff blushed and turned around, trying to pretend to be angry whilst my girl companions giggled and told me how powerful Sarah's attack had been. I felt my eyes widen.

"So the Basilisk's still out there?" I asked, peering over Morgan's shoulder into the shadows. At any time, I expected the Basilisk to fly out and avenge its pain on one of us. I gulped and shook the thought from my mind. I went back to sit against the wall and comment on how awesome Amy looked caked in blood when I saw it. Movement.

"AMY! WATCH OUT!!!" I shrieked.

"Huh?" Amy turned around to see what I was staring at, but that was all she saw. She blacked out as she was hit full-force by the one of the snake's monstrous heads. I ducked out of instinct as her body flew at me and slammed into the wall behind me. It made an angry cracking noise and slumped to the floor, lifeless as anything I had ever seen.

"Amy! AMY!!!" I bellowed. I grabbed her sword and my own and turned to face the sickening creature; tears flowing once again down my face, but if looks could kill, that bastard would be deader than dead.

"Come on!" I snarled at my comrades. "For _AMY!!" _I yelled, swinging both blades around in the air, and piercing the snake's nearby body with a powerful thrust. (**A/N:** What-the-hell? o.0 BGMLOTR. XP) Blood spilled out onto my twin blades and I yanked them out of the snake's body, and then shot a ball of chi to irritate the wound.

Its tail came flying from out of nowhere, so I ducked and rolled backwards toward Amy. I glanced down at her, then my friends; my eyes darting between each of them attacking the snake effectively from a point and Amy who was still silent.

I reached down and grabbed the ball of meat, vowing my revenge on the black bastard which was trying to throw Hanna off its hind end, near the tail.

"Just lie back and let us take care of it," I whispered, throwing myself back amidst the rage of battle. I jumped over the flying tail and ducked just as the Basilisk attempted to bite me. It missed and made other vague attempts at the others.

"Geoff! Go long!" I yelled, waving my arms in the air. The man in question tossed me a glance; I was holding one sword under my arm and waving the meat in the other. He nodded and rushed toward the tail, facing me. I threw the meat with all my might towards him, praying I would hit my target.

The Basilisk let loose a horrific yell as Morgan danced amazingly fast in front of it; each of its strikes causing one of its fangs to go missing. It didn't understand the duel attacks that Morgan possessed: a sword and her chi. Its normal prey had usually been the untrained soldiers.

"YES!" I pounded the air with my fist as Geoff's hand made contact with the hunk of meat I'd thrown at him.

"KATIE, DUCK!!" Hanna cried. I turned around just in time to see one side of the snake's body come flying at me, Hanna's sword plunging deeply into it. As she flew overhead, I was splattered with droplets of blood, and vaguely wondered how _I _looked caked in the sticky red stuff. _'Idiot!'_

I jumped up again and saw Jake and Nich teaming up with Morgan in her little dance while Hanna slowly made her way up the serpent's side.

"What're you guys _doing?!_" I yelled at them when Jake announced he'd gotten "Number twenty-three!"

"What does it _look_ like we're doing, you moron?! We're-duck-knocking its teeth out!!" Jake snapped irritably.

"Yeah! So go play the good little woman and help Sarah out at the back!" Nich told me mockingly as he back-flipped away from one of the numerous strikes the snake was throwing at them. I rolled my eyes and raced toward the back of the writhing demon, still not seeing Geoff, even when I got to the tail, where Sarah was hacking away with tooth and nail at the flailing back end.

She smiled when she saw me. "Geoff _said_ you were on your way!"

"Geoff?" I looked around, hoping to see him somewhere, but I didn't I frowned. "Where's he at?"

"He's with Hanna now. Said the salt would be more effective is it was applied on the head, I think.

_'Geoff, you idiot,'_ I thought to myself. Sarah pushed us against the side of the cave as the snake's tail lashed out, barely missing my face by centimeters. I slashed at it with my weapons and made contact, pinning the end down with brute force. The guys at the front were forgotten for a moment as the Basilisk turned to see what had stopped its moves. It gave me a cold four-eyed glare and launched for me.

I could see, dangling off the side, about ten feet from the head, Hanna and Geoff, holding onto each other; a long line of bloody gauges marking their strenuous path up the side of the Basilisk.

"Come and get me, you great ugly brute!!" I snarled, waving both blades around like nun chucks. Sarah stood firm beside me, ready to offer support.

The serpent let loose another howl, sure of its victory. At such a close range, the loud noise caused my ears to pop. I flinched and jumped into the air as it made a frugal bite for my leg. I ended up straddling one of its heads. Perfect.

Once the snake realized that one of its snacks had disappeared, it reared its great heads in anger and tried shaking me off. Holding onto both swords was definitely going to be a problem if I was going to want to stay on.

"Sarah! CATCH!!" I cried, throwing _my _sword over my shoulder. It spun around before Sarah caught it in time to parry an attack. The sudden change in motion almost threw me off, but I looked underneath my right leg and saw one large eye looking at me. I stuck my tongue out at it and thrust Amy's blade deep into it.

"Geoff! THE MEAT!!"

"DON'T YOU DARE MISS!!" Geoff bellowed, throwing me the meat. I grabbed it and, holding onto the hilt of the blade that was still buried deep in the eye of the Basilisk, I jumped off.


	26. Death in Selapation Cave

**Katie: **At last…_sighs and leans back_ I am done with that chapter…

**Geoffrey: **What was so hard about that? You barely typed for what? Four hours?

**Katie:** _sweat drop_ Well, I planned it out a lot! You're lucky if I don't make you get killed by an effing _chocobo_!

**Geoffrey: ** And those would be...???

**Katie: **Giant chickens you ride. Don't tempt me, Thief.

**Geoff **_mutters_ Yeah right. _Walks out the bedroom door_ She wouldn't dare…_sweat drop_…would she?

**Katie: **Haha! The fool doesn't even realize they're from the wrong game!

"KATIE?!?!?!" someone yelled. I couldn't tell who. I didn't WANT to know, either. If I had allowed my mind to wander, even once, I would have surely fallen off to my death below, crushed beneath the writhing body.

Swinging from one hand while being flung around by a pissed-off snake was _not_ the way I had planned on dieing.

"Oh, quit your whining, you big baby!!" I snarled. I felt my clothes begin to get soaked through and through with the nasty blood of the double-headed monster. I spat some out of my mouth; time to do what I came for. I could feel my hand beginning to slip and slide over the hilt of my sword.

"DO IT NOW, KATIE!!"

"HIII-YAAAAAAAAH!!" With the last of my strength I pulled myself up and gripped the sword handle in the crook of my arm and with the other, pushed the salt-covered slab of meat deep into the cut in the eye.

Immediately, white foam began pouring from it. For good measure, I kicked the eye as well, forcing the meat in still deeper.

The Basilisk began writhing beneath me with renewed vigor. All pretenses forgotten, I felt it move swiftly toward the ground.

"Katie, JUMP!"

I looked down to see Jake and Geoff below, running with the Basilisk, their arms linked, forming a kind of basket for which to catch me before the Basilisk began bashing its own head in.

I closed my eyes when I did it. Without thinking, I let go of my sword. It felt like flying. I was weightless; falling through time and space. Then I started screaming. High-pitched wails escaped my lips as I began my speedy decent into the arms of a prince and a bandit; two unlikely companions. Before, I never would have believed it, but I gladly accepted their help as I crashed into their arms.

We fell; rolling over and over each other until we came to a screeching halt beside one of the boulders the Basilisk had knocked off.

"The things I do for you…," Geoff snapped, pushing me off hs arm. I looked at Jake, who was just lying on his side, smiling at me in a way I had never seen him smile before.

"Thanks, you guys…," I told them, jumping again onto both of them and giving them huge hugs. Geoff, resigned to his fate, patted my back. Jake squeezed me in his arms. "You've saved my life more than once already. I don't know what I would've done without you…,"

That's when the rest of my caravan arrived. Hanna, Sarah, and Morgan wolf-whistled and Nich looked embarrassed.

I hurriedly got off the two beneath me and helped them up with a pull of my arm. I jumped into encampment of arms my friends held out for me. I felt tears drip onto my body and hugs, pats, and kisses were passed around. No one seemed to care that we were all blood-soaked. The only thing that mattered to us was the fact that we were all alive and unhur-

"AMY!!" I cried, remembering suddenly the vivid image of a blonde-haired girl lying curled up on the floor. I pushed my way out of our mini-moshpit and ran toward the circle of light which glowed in the distance. The Basilisk had carried us a ways down the passage. "Amy!!"

I didn't care about anything else. Suddenly, the only thing that even made any remote form of sense to me was my best friend. The one person of my caravan that mattered more to me than anyone else I had ever known. "Please, be OK, Amy!!" I sobbed, pumping my legs.

I felt my tears pool in my eyes, and they weren't tears of joy anymore. They were tears of sadness. If _Amy_ died, I didn't know what I would _do._ She had always been there for me, through thick and thin; ever since first grade. (True! as are these events!)

_The light was getting closer_…

I remembered the first time I thought about attempting to become her friend. It was in our first grade class. We had been assigned to get a piece of construction paper that was our favorite color and fill it with things of the same color. I couldn't even remember my _own_ color, but I remembered _Amy's_.

It was orange. She was always obsessed with the color. I hated it. I remember her having a cheese puff on her paper. I also remember asking to eat it afterward, and she had looked at me strangely. She'd said it had glue on it, but I _loved_ cheese puffs. So I pulled it off her paper and ate it anyway.

Little did I know that that one incident, practically the first time I had talked to her, would be the roots of a friendship I never wanted to lose…

_It was only fifteen feet away… _

I remember, for her twelfth birthday party, she only had three of her "closest" friends over. She surprised the three of us by taking us to a _brand-new_ indoor water park. It had, literally, just opened that day, so no one was there. It was so fun, having the park all to ourselves.

I had no idea that being one of her dearest friends would tear at my heart like it was now…

_There I was…_

I dove to Amy's side, full-on belting out my apologies for all the times I had ever said something to hurt her. For all the times I had called her "stupid," "ugly," and "fat." I apologized for every _tiny, _unimportant thing. I grabbed her shirt and flipped her over. I told her I didn't want her to die like this. I called her a stubborn fool; told her that she _ordinarily_ would _never_ have allowed a dumb _snake_ to beat her. She was better than it all. She was better than me…

(**A/N**: sad BGM: Josh Groban, and I'm about to cry. XD Guess I can let out all my emotions through my writing. I wonder what I would _really_ do if Amy died…Makes me wonder!)

I felt a presence behind me, and then suddenly, Hanna and Sarah and Morgan had a hand placed on my shoulder.

"I'll go get…your sword for you…," Nich mumbled, going off back the way we had come. The Basilisk had died about 600 meters away, curled up like a humongeous, grotesque dog. Nich shuffled his feet as he moved along, following a long line of blood.

"Katie, I don't think…," Geoff's voice caught in his throat and he kneeled behind me and comforted me with his arms linked around my neck. I felt hot anger surge up inside me and I threw my friends from me.

"No! _No_, damn you! She's alive! I _know_ she's alive!" I barked, thrusting a finger at Amy who still lay motionless.

"Katie, she's not breathing…At least…I don't _think_ she is…," Morgan told me.

"Shut up! The lot of you!! Can't you just be quiet for _one fucking minute?!_"

Spasms took hold of my body and I threw myself beside the blonde on the floor, content just to die and go with her into the after-life.

"Katie, you can't act like this. _Am_ywouldn't have wanted it…!" Hanna whispered softly into my ear.

Jake was quiet and moved to Amy's other side and pulled her closer to himself.

"_Don't-touch-her!_" I growled from inside my hands.

Jake ignored me and titled Amy's head back and plugged her nose before placing his mouth on hers.

I threw him a scathing look. "If you think that by _putting on a show_ is going to make me feel better, you're damn wrong."


	27. Sweet Escape

**Hanna: **I wonder where Geoff went.

**Katie: **_shrugs_ I think he might be downstairs. _Looks at readers_ I stayed up for hours last night typing this chapter, and I want to find him so I can shove it in his face _turns to Nich on the bed_.

**Nich: **What?

**Katie: **Come on!! We're going to find that Geoffrey! _grabs Nich and runs out the door screaming gleefully with Hanna walking behind calling the asylum_

**Amy: **She's insane. _Falls back to sleep on the bed_.

**READ NEXT "DISCLAIMER" TO FIND OUT WHERE GEOFFREY IS HIDING! **

"No…It is not a show. She's…alive…," Jake told me.

I jumped up and grabbed Amy from the prince. He allowed me to selfishly take my best friend into my own arms and hold her, still crying, as she took new gasps of air.

"Amy…_Amy!_ I can't believe…you're alive!!" I wept for several minutes while it seemed Amy lay sleeping in my arms, unmoving, but she was _alive_ and that was _all_ that mattered to me right now.

When she finally opened her eyes, it was several hours later and camp had been set alongside where she rested. A protective ring had been made to guard me, so my friends had given me privacy by sleeping a couple yards out. The lantern had been shut off to save what little toad oil we had left.

Amy's eyes were adjusting to the dark. When she was fully awake, she realized that she had her head in my lap and was covered with my blanket; I had nothing. She saw my sleeping face; tilted to the side and drool sliding down it, and giggled. That announced that she was awake, and made me jump, amazingly alert.

"I'm so glad…you're alive…" I whispered to her, wiping the drool from my lip with an embarrassed grin on my face. Amy smiled and gingerly felt her body for any broken bones.

"Everything seems to be in order…," She muttered to herself. She tried sitting up and grunted heavily with the effort. I helped her sit beside me and began telling her about the fight after she had been knocked out.

"And then, bam I had the bastard _right_ where I wanted him! He was flying all over the place and I was swinging off one-handed and then fell onto Jake and Geoff who caught me!"

I was painting vivid word pictures for Amy who sat next to me, drinking it all in, nodding and asking questions at the appropriate times. I was so happy, that when I fell asleep two hours later, it was with a smile on my face, and Amy's head on my shoulder.

For the next several days, or however long it _truly_ was; I couldn't remember the last time I had seen the sun, my caravan followed through with Geoff's idea that we could burn snake fat until we came across another Gigan Toad. We cut into the carcass which was slowly rotting with each passing day and harvested a large amount of the brownish-type fat that bordered the muscles underneath. This was wrapped in our soiled clothes.

I realized that, as we sat around the lantern one night, packaging up a piece, that I was in my only clean outfit.

"Dammit! Whatever shall I do about _underwear_? A _true_ tragedy…," I hung my head in mock disappointment and placed my parcel beside me.

I felt something knock on the back of my head. I looked up with fake tears in my eyes and saw Amy there, smiling at me.

"You read too much shojo manga crap," she told me matter-of-factly. I swatted her hand away playfully.

"And _you_, my dear friend, read too little manga _period_."

"Oh, stuff it," she sat alongside me and gazed around us with a thoughtful look on her face. This puzzled me. There wasn't a whole lot to look at around here. Just…rock. Rock, rock, and _more_ rock. It was becoming annoyingly repetitive. Then she looked back at me. "Katie…you said that…a while back…that you _remember_ this place from somewhere. Am I mistaken?"

I felt something move within me and, to give myself a moment to think, to try and bring back an old memory, I walked the package of fat to Hanna who was taking care of all the packages. She had all of them in a neat little stack behind her. In front of her were the contents of all four packs.

"What're you doing?" I asked curiously, bending down to see.

"Sorting. _Someone_ has to make sure we can carry all this stuff in what little storage we have. Although, I don't think the _guys_ really care. They just like taking stuff apart. But I suppose they're making something useful out of it."

By "it" she was referring to the Basilisk, whose scent wafted towards our camp.

"What're the guys doing anyway?"

"How'm I supposed to know? Probably just enjoying the carnage, I'm assuming."

"_What?_"

I looked into the dark side of the camp and saw three huddled shapes sitting close together, working with some curved teeth taken from the enormous snake.

"What're they using for tools?" I asked.

"Their hands of course. Most likely they're even more blood-covered than before."

I blanched and hurriedly shuffled over to Amy who had been waiting patiently for me to return. She patted the ground and I sat. I glanced at her feet and saw that she wore the leather shoes from River Bell Path. I decided that _not_ telling her about the guys' endeavor as it would probably be for the best.

"So, you remember?" Amy asked me.

I didn't. I shook my head. I told her to give me a minute for concentration and she obliged; instead fixing me with her piercing blue eyes.

I rummaged deeply into the depths of my mind, and shut everything else out. I closed my eyes and came face-to-face with a large golden door. In my mind, I stumbled back, startled. Where the hell was I anyway? I thought my mind was empty!

Shakily, I reached out my right hand and fitted it around the doorknob. I got an electric shock so intense I felt every single one of my muscles clench up at once. I cried out, and in the real world, startled Amy and brought the others attention to me. They saw me with my arm outstretched, grabbing something they couldn't see. I had screamed and they had no idea _why._

When Geoff made a move to grab me (probably to violently shake me) Amy threw her hands out in front of me to stop him.

"Don't bother her. She's…Well, I don't know _what_ she's doing, but just don't touch her."

"Why? Amy, did you do something? 'Cause you know she saved your life. If you've put her in some sort of trance for your own sick game, I _swear_ I'll-," He was rambling.

"_Shut up, you fool! _Did I not just tell you to _not disturb her?_" Amy snarled.

Geoff looked taken aback. Then a strange look passed over his features and he stormed back to the area where his, Nich's, and Jake's little workshop had been erected. "Peh. To hell with that crazy bitch…!" he muttered to himself. I wouldn't have known if he were talking about me or Amy. But either way, he shot the pair of us a queer look that seemed to say 'I regret telling her my feelings.'

But I had more important things on my mind.

I was now holding my burning hand. I looked into it, expecting to see just bright red flesh, but that wasn't it. What I _did_ see, was something far weirder. Formed onto my palm were the words, 'It is a bad attempt. Try again, and worse things will happen. What is contained within will only torture your mind.' (**RAC: **Damn, that's a lot of words. XD ROFL)

The funny thing was, the burns didn't hurt at all. It just felt like a feather duster was brushing over my hand. It tickled, rather than hurt. I looked up once more at the impending door, cradling my hand protectively against my chest. "What _are_ you?" I asked it. I shook my head. A door wouldn't answer! I pushed my hands against the cold exterior and hung my head between my arms.

Then, almost so slightly, I hardly felt it, there was a ripple. I looked at the door in surprise and started dancing around in front of it. At first, it looked as if nothing had happened, but then, I saw it. The door was opened just a fraction of a hair's width.

I peered uneasily at the doorknob, wary of opening it, but I couldn't get it open any other way, so I grabbed it, bracing myself for the harsh shock again. When I opened my eyes, my heart was thumping amazingly fast in my chest and I felt light-headed. I came face-to-face with Amy, who had her own just inches away from mine.

"AIIEEE!!" I shrieked, and fell over backwards, my heart fluttering in my chest like a bucking stallion. I struggled to get control over my emotions while I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling through eyes misted over.

"Katie? You all right?" Sarah asked, pulling me into a sitting position. I put my head in my palms and pressed down until little dancing lights popped into my eyes and I felt woozy.

"What'd you see?" Amy asked, grabbing my wrists and forcing me to look at her. I shook my head wordlessly, and showed her my palm. Amy tilted her head and grabbed it, turning it sideways so she could read it.

"'What is contained within will only torture your mind?'" she muttered thoughtfully. She grinned and looked at me. "But there's nothing _in_ there to begin with! And you didn't even remember anything!! What a _worthless _waste of time!!" Amy threw herself back and lay next to me, spread-eagled.

"I know…," I mumbled to myself, more than to the others who were all jostling around me.

"Makes me wonder what's _there_ though. I mean, there _has_ to be something in there, right? Otherwise she wouldn't be able to function," Hanna quipped, ever the logical thinker.

"Yeah. If there's something _dangerous _in there, she shouldn't do it again. Rather obvious that the thing doesn't like her probing her own mind. Apparently it's taboo!" Geoff growled from a little wy away, putting on a creepy face. I looked up, saw him, and snickered. It caused everyone else to laugh as well and it broke the awkward silence that had come to rest over us.

Ahh…Laughter. It had been such a long time since I had ever heard such a harmonious sound. Our giggles went up a notch and we ended up bellowing louder than I had ever remembered, daring any such monster to come upon us. I knew I would always cherish this moment, for I _knew_ that my life would only continue to press forward, molding upon itself and feeding on my happy memories, always waiting its chance to make my life hell…

It had been several days now. I'm guessing that since our defeat of the Basilisk, ten days had past. We had come across several more of the Lizardmen and even an Ice Mu pack. The Gigan Toads had seemed to have retreated since our fight with them at the opening of the cavern. I was rather grateful. Already our food rations were running low and our attitudes towards one another had become rather more hostile than what was necessary.

As official leader of our little caravan, I felt that it was my duty to attempt to hold our group together. I could sense greater tension between Amy and the prince than I had ever remembered. I asked Amy about this one night as we lay huddled against each other for warmth in the cool air of the cave.

"What's happened between you and Jake?" I asked her, pressing my back against hers, my breath forming little psychedelic swirls. I allowed my gaze to trail over my other friends. The guys were again in a secluded area of the cave, working on God knew what. The only sounds other than the soft breathing of the sleepers was Amy shifting uneasily.

"Oh, it's nothing. Really, Kate," she mumbled. She was thinking back to the moment she had reprimanded Jake when he had not wanted to come with her and me. She had sensed an odd change in him then, and it was something she herself had longed for, although she'd kept it secret from me for so long. Even before we'd come to this world.

But even still, that never changed the fact that she was there, beside me, there and now. I just _knew_ something was wrong with her, and I _had_ to find out. I gripped the cover between my cupped hands and asked again. "Amy, please tell me..," I whispered softly.

I knew she wasn't going to tell me…I had a feeling I already knew what it was she wanted to talk to me about. It made me get a feeling of emptiness in my stomach and I gripped the cover even tighter in my clammy hands. It made me sick that I hadn't realized it until now. _Amy was in love with the prince…_

"I told you I didn't want to talk about it…You already know…," Amy mumbled. I felt her become uncomfortably quiet and she pulled away from me, leaving me half uncovered in the glow of the lantern. I felt naked and cold. I shivered and pulled myself into a sitting position. I leaned over her body, wrapping the rest of the blanket around her and whispered,

"Go-hay-no neen…," That literally translates to, 'forgive me' in Sindarin, an Elvish language. (**RAC: **Talk about randomness! .)

I tip-toed over next to Nich and leaned against him; he seemed startled to feel me suddenly appear by his side. He almost dropped his bones. He'd carved down a stick and was working on chipping stones into the shaped of arrow-heads.

"Hey. Something wrong?" he asked me. He continued to whittle away at his work. I felt jitters travel throw his arm as I leaned into him for comfort, worried that I was losing contact with my best friend.

I stared into the little pile of stones that looked like they'd been picked out for value and felt painful thoughts bounce themselves around my mind. It was again that I found myself drifting through my thoughts and came to that huge gold door again. It loomed up above me, only, this time, it was wide open. Just inside the doorway there seemed to be a precipice over which hovered the entire group. I was about to jump in and save them from certain death when I was shaken roughly by the shoulders.

With a shudder I cleared away my foggy vision and saw that Geoff and Jake had leaned in and were staring at me with worry in their eyes. I couldn't make contact with Jake. Not that I knew Amy liked him. I couldn't decide now whether I would be able to make a choice between the two. I was disgusted with myself. I knew the time would inevitably loom up in my face, but I was too much of a coward to come to terms with my own feelings.

"I'm just having problems understanding people," I told them, staring at my toes. Another shiver rippled through me. I shoved myself away from Nich who made a vague attempt to grab my arm again. But one glance into my eyes told him everything. I needed to be alone to sort through my difficult emotions.

When the bandit and the prince made to follow after me, Nich gave them knowing looks and they settled back into their craft-making.

I sat myself in a nice, secluded corner away from the sleeping forms of the rest of the group. It was just outside the small circle of light, so it was just a tad bit cooler where I sat. It was there I fell asleep with a tortured mind of cliffs and losing everyone I ever cared about…

I awoke after what seemed like mere minutes to muffled sounds of conversation. I had slept all the while by myself on the hard stone floor with no cover. My shoulders and hips ached with a resounding throb and I cracked my neck to twist the crick out. I yawned and joined my friends who were having an extremely rationed breakfast of dried fruit.

"Do you remember how long Mackenzie said we'd be in here for?" Sarah asked curiously, taking a small nibble out of her apple.

"Dunno. But I hope it'll be soon. It seems that with each growing day, I am becoming more and more afraid of what will happen when we come face-to-face with sunlight," Jakob replied, licking his fingers wistfully.

"I believe the proper word for that was Gollum?" Geoff asked us at large. I smirked in spite of myself and nodded. I shot a glance at Amy who was sitting across from Jake. I raised my voice.

"Anyone know how long we've been in here?" I asked.

"Who knows? It seems like years since we came. I can hardly recall the taste of fresh food…or the sound of water trickling down my throat. These rations will be the end of me yet," Hanna replied half-heatedly, pouring a bit of the extremely cold ice-water we'd filed our bottles up with at the lake down her throat.

"Well, I remember Mackenzie saying that it would be twenty-five days in here. However many miles we average, we should be getting closer to the exit with every step we take," I told them. This seemed to brighten their lives slightly. They began to pack away camp and I observed.

When the ritual was complete and the packs had been distributed to those who had not carried one the last time, I began to lead the way into the passage.

It was after several weary and silent hours that I began to notice a steady change in the path we were following. The flickering flame cast off by the lantern, which normally threw such bright radiance into the cave, was now not doing so. I stopped our party and pointed this out.

"What do you think's up?" I asked them, raising the lantern above my head to show them. It seemed that the shadows were becoming lighter as we had followed the passage. I only hoped that meant what I _thought_ it meant: that we were coming ever closer to the end of the tunnel.

Sarah voiced what I thought.

"Yes. I think she's right, you guys! We're getting to the end!"

"Woohoo! How much longer, then? Can you tell?" Amy asked eagerly, patting the sides of the cave with love.

Geoff stepped up beside her and stroked the stone with his fingertips as if searching for some small indentation.

"The walls aren't very damp here. We must be about fifty miles or so from the exit…," he mumbled, stepping softly across the ground. I grinned and patted his back,

"Good job, Bandit Thief."

This caused everyone to laugh, and Geoffrey blushed, shoving me away from him in the process. I giggled and told him to lighten up before shouldering the pack I had been assigned to carry and continuing.

We were making steady progress through the cave. That was when the first tough monster appeared before us since the incident with the Basilisk. I remember it clearly because it was a night I knew I would never forget…


	28. Your Second Family

**RAC: **I'm sorry 'bout not updating on Saturday like I planned, but a bunch of my relatives randomly showed up and I couldn't escape long enough to update. I apologize. Now on with the disclaimer!

**Katie:** Geofrey!

**Momo:** I'm really worried about him.

**Nich:** Why be? He's just a big bully.

**Momo:** _sigh_

**C.J.:** BARK BARK! _He's my doggie. _

**Katie:** C.J. what's wrong? _pets dog_

**Momo:** I don't think anything is wrong, look. _points over Katie's shoulder_

**Nich:** Good grief… _Stares at Geoff lying in C.J.'s dog bed_.

**Katie:** GEOFFREY!

**Geoff:** Yeah?

**Momo: **Come on… _Drags Geoff back to Katie's room_.

My group was just beginning to settle down for the night after two "days" of supposed walking. It took me this long to just realize all the aches and pains I had received in my duel with the enormous snake. My lower back throbbed with growing intensity and my right arm felt on fire just below the elbow, and the leg with which I had kicked the snake with was semi-numb, making me walk with a slight limp.

I tossed my hair over my back and tied it with a leather thong. The thick brown layers had felt good when we were still buried within the bowels of the cave, but now that we were nearing the exit, it was becoming a bother. I wondered what I would look like if I cut it.

I tugged absent-mindedly at a tress that was dangling in front of my face; too short to have been pulled back. I had only cut my hair above my shoulders once, and that had been by accident. My older sister, being a "professional" hairstylist, had wanted to "experiment" with me. And me, being 9 years younger than her, had to submit to her devious ways or else be threatened with black mail for the rest of my short-lived life.

Shannon ended up making my hair above my ears. I remembered getting tormented about it and being called a "boy" for the rest of the semester until my hair had grown back below my ears. I had been so mad at my sister. I remembered her smiling face and felt tears well up in my eyes. She had been pregnant with her second child when I had disappeared…

Angrily, I brushed away the tears and threw myself onto the blanket I had lain out. I buried my face in my palms and stifled a sob by biting softly into the skin. I pictured my nephew's laughing young face and thought of my favorite saying:

_'Only children can laugh amidst the terror of war…'_

I felt a hand grip my shoulder and I looked up in all my beautiful, runny-nosed glory and stared into the faces of all my friends but Jakob and Geoff. I took a mental note that they were the only two who had not met my sister. (I _really_ don't like my other one, Stephanie. XD) I pushed myself onto my butt and was immediately enveloped into the arms of the people who had become greater than family to me. It didn't matter that they were ten years or so older than I were; they knew the pain that I felt and were doing so much more for me than they could know.

"Katie, I know you were thinking about home, but think about this, instead: the home you've made for yourself in _this _land." Sarah told me.

"Nothing can replace the family you have in the real world, but know that what you fight for here should be equally important. _So many people are counting on you_…" Hanna whispered, stroking my back.

I looked over Amy's back and grinned sheepishly at the bandit and prince who were looking at the mass of bodies with slightly red faces. I laughed and broke the mounting tension with a question.

"Can any of you guys cut hair?"

My friends exploded into laughter and rolled away to their beds, quaking with mirth.

"Soooo?" I asked. There was no answer, but the slight snickering of the ones who were picturing me with short hair.

I huffed and muttered a curse under my breath before settling down beneath the covers, _hoping_ for a good nights' sleep.

I awoke to the sound of slight ruffling along the edges of our camp. The embers of our campfire (we took along wood from the ruined wagons) were burning a slight red, but giving off no light. I shook my sleep-heavy eyes and reached out for Amy's ankle that was resting above me. (We slept in a circle) I shook her as the weird sound stopped. She snapped out at me with her foot.

"_What do you want?!_" She snarled viciously. I almost recoiled at her venom, nearly about to go back to sleep, but then I heard the faint sound of something like panting in the distance.

"I hear something. It sounds like another monster…," I whispered. The reason for our previous period of calm was the fact that the Basilisk was so near. The other monsters had been so terrified of it that they had stayed away, for which I was thankful.

I readied my sword and dagger as Amy went around and woke the others up with urgent whispers and frantic touches. I blew on the fire and threw some wood on from one of the packs that were drained of food. When there was s crackling blaze, both sides of the narrower cavern were illuminated in a comforting yellow light.

"What did you see?" Jake asked.

"I-," I was interrupted by a shrill howl that echoed around us with a piercingly cold note that rose then fell back amongst the shadows. I was reminded of a death cry.

"Shangri-La Wolves," Nich said glumly, grimacing as if he were suddenly reminded of a horrible nightmare. He gripped his lower arm and I cast him a curious look. He saw this and rolled up his sleeve. Twenty bite marks lined a small indent on his arm. It seemed as if the Wolves had tried ripping it off.

"It's exactly like you think. On my first mission, I was sent with a troop of soldiers to exterminate a troublesome pack of Shangri-La Wolves that were wreaking havoc on our western borders. It was a rather easy battle, but it had its prices." He grinned and pushed the sleeve back into its original position.

I suddenly whipped my head around, feeling a dark presence like that of a twisting shadow gliding across my cheek. I peered deeply into the darkness surrounding me and could just make out the sound of slavering beast. A thin film of cold sweat erupted on my forehead and I stood, pressure put more so onto my right leg (or was it the left that was injured? Or was it my arm?! GAH!! .)

Suddenly, the shadows began frothing with movement and several beasts of enormous stature began to weave in and out of the ring of fire, darting over the places where the light touched both walls. I gulped.

The Shangri-La Wolves were the size of Great Danes (ENORMOUS dogs) with long, blue-grey hair and yellow claws that protruded unnaturally from their paws which seemed to be the sizes of large dinner plates. I tried counting them, but I lost count at thirteen, because they suddenly vanished from us. I couldn't sense their presence physically, but I could smell their putrid breath which clung to the air and seemed to wrap itself around me with a stronghold.

Geoffrey cried out. Amy said it was too late. With a shudder, the darkness tumbled on me, and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to stop the flow of the tides.

With a shriek like shattering glass, the Wolves dove upon us with intense ferocity. The caravan had become rather spread out and now dashed toward me, moving targets.

One of the Wolves took an enormous leap and let out another howl, then slammed head-long into Nich. Nich rolled over and over, parrying with the furious animal's claws by using the twin daggers he'd pulled from his waist. His muscles bulged underneath his shirt as he struggled beneath the monster.

"BACK TO BACK!!" I shouted above the haunting, yet melodic sound of the howling Wolves. "STAND TOGETHER OR DIE ALONE!" I looked around me and dashed toward the person nearest me, which happened to be Morgan. I threw myself against her, causing her to stumble slightly, but straighten up, forcing me upright.

Nich, who was still wrestling with the Shangri-La Wolf, kicked upward with strong force and bucked, sending the monster soaring into one of its fellows. He jumped up, panting, and got together with Hanna.

Gripping my sword in both hands, I lunged into the pack of ravaging wolves who were tearing into our blankets and backpacks with savage fury. I attacked with my weapon, slamming it into the head of one Wolf who had unwisely chosen to eat _my_ blanket. Downy feathers rained down upon the battlefield from above, making it look like some twisted form of a beautiful snowy day.

Morgan darted away from me in an attempt to save one of the companions I couldn't see. The sudden change in movement made me stumble and I fell back; a Wolf leapt onto me and struck hard with its forepaws, causing long scratches to appear in my armor. I struggled with the ravenous beast whose slobber pooled off its foot-long teeth in large globs that dripped sinuously onto my face. I gagged and struggled to hold off the monster and the bile which was building up in my mouth.

My sword had been knocked from my hands when I had tripped up and lay several feet away. I parried now only with my two small daggers.

"_Dammit!!_" I cursed; the sweat on my forehead was dripping onto the ground as I wrestled frantically with the beast. "_Someone help me, dammit!!_" I yelled.

There was a flash of orange light and I was suddenly crushed under two hundred pounds of muscle. I could smell the burnt hair of the Shangri-La Wolf and, gasping for air, pulled my head up and saw tiny orange fires licking along the body of the dead Wolf. I looked around for whoever had used the chi and saw Amy running over.

She kicked my sword to me and pulled the Wolf off me with a force I didn't expect to come from her. I felt my rib cage with gentle fingertips; looking for broken bones, but felt none and kicked the slowly burning Wolf roughly with the heel of my boot and raced back into the fight.

I looked around, taking a check on everyone and saw that Geoff and Sarah were without a weapon. I didn't see their swords or daggers anywhere and wondered where they could've gotten to.

A Wolf-creature leapt at me and I parried it, hurrying back to the center of our camp for the fire. '_Improvisation. The warrior who adapts is the warrior who survives._' I said to myself. I reached for two half-on-fire pieces of wood with my left hand and ran as close as I could get to the duo that was being forced back against the cave wall. A group of three howled noisily, baying and yipping; they thought they had won.

Then, at once, a mangled Wolf leapt at me, its reflexes seemingly sharper than most. I guessed it was the leader of the Pack, driven to the brink of insanity by the rivulets of blood that ran down its muzzle and forepaws. I hoped it wasn't _my_ comrades' blood. My **sword**was also sharp. I thrust it forward and it sank with a satisfying squelch into the Wolf's chest. It let out a shriek of defeat before it was swallowed up by darkness and become a mere lead weight on the end of my weapon.

I pulled my sword out of the body and took several steps backward. I sniffed the air; something was wrong. Along with the metallic scent of blood, there was also the smell…of nothing. I didn't _hear_ anything either.

"Everyone all right?" I asked. The Shangri-La Wolves were gone; back into the shadows, fleeting images on the dark outcroppings of rock. I heard one yelp far in the distance.

My fellowship limped toward me on bent knee for the most part.

"Are they gone? Please tell me they've decided to leave us be-!" Amy panted heavily and sheathed her sword before collapsing heavily on the cavern wall. She wiped at a droplet of blood that ran down the side of her mouth.

"Anyone seen Nich and Jake?" I asked a fine tremor in my voice.

The duo emerged from the shadows, Jake helping Nich who had another bite mark, opposite his first.

"Atleast you match now!" I told him chipperly.

He smirked and stood. "No time for frivolities, Kate. We have more pressing problems at hand." He said. He gestured emphatically at the ravaged camp around us. Everything had been shredded-blankets, pillows, backpacks-everything.

"_Dammit_…!" I snapped, looking crestfallen. My expression made the others crack into exhausted laughter.

That night, we'd managed to scrape together a pitiful meal of the scraps the Wolves had left not half-digested all over the ground. Blowing on the embers of our fire and burning the wrecked remains of our camp, my friends and I stayed partially warm the entire night. 'Though none of us slept. We faced out from the fire, staring into the shadows, thinking only of the monsters that had come of it and of the small amount of cash we had left…

After what seemed like endless hours of non-stop watching, I called the people together and we headed off, creaking in our joints like twisted old men, bemoaning our pain through pitiful songs. From _my_ time.

After belting out '_Boulevard of Broken Dreams_' in a mournful voice, the bandit leader told me to stop. Said something about how if I didn't, he'd bite off his nose and bleed to death. I pointed out to him that this wasn't possible. He replied with,

"Oh, trust me my young friend, I have lived in this world a lot longer than _you_ have and know a lot more than you can ever _hope_ to know. "

We made our way quickly and as accurately as we could west. The barren, rocky landscape didn't help to improve our moods. We stayed close enough together, fearing another attack by the Shangri-La Wolves, that we actually bumped into one another. No one complained. We were happy underneath it all. I wondered what seeing the Liltian city of Alfitaria would be like.

**_I hoped they would take pity on a disheartened group of weary travelers..._**


	29. Feelings of Entrapment

**Geoff:** Why do I have to be locked in this thing? _Bangs on bars of doggie cage_

**Gaia:** _Gives cold stare_. because I wanted you to.

**Geoff:** _Gulp_WTF?

**Amy:** Don't you think you're being a little harsh? _Stares at Gaia waving a bowl of Ramen in Geoffrey's face._

**Gaia:** No. _Begins to eat Ramen_ Oooh…It's so good…

**Geoff:** NOOO! _Reaches out bar cages to try and grab Ramen_.

**Gaia: **MUAHAHA! Oh the power flowing through my veins! _Pulls bowl out of reach_

It was nearing mid-break when I awoke to the startled cries of my companions. Immediately, my trained senses pounced into the shadows, feeling around for any sort of feeling that the Wolves had returned. But they hadn't. I slowly put my raised sword back into its sheath and stared open-mouthed at the scene that had gotten my friends to be so stupefied.

**_It was the sunrise. _**

****

I couldn't recall the feel of sunlight on my skin. Nay, I could hardly tell what shade my skin was now, I had spent so long a time in the dark. I took a step forward and heard my knees pop painfully with the movement after their rough sleep on the hard stone.

**_The sun…_**

"C'mon, you guys!!" I cried. I began what was probably only a mile-long run into the swirling orange clouds that had begun to seep into the exit of the cave. I ignored the exhilarated yells of the rest of the group and took the lead as the exit seemed to come nearer and nearer in just seconds. My feet were traveling like the wind over the now-day and not-slippery stones that had made way for smooth, clearly-used paths.

**_We were almost out of there._**

And suddenly, we _were_ there, standing in what seemed like blistering heat. Although the sun hadn't risen fully, the sleek shine of the lights it was giving off already warmed up my flesh beyond the comparison of the cold cave. There was no ice here. No monsters. No snake.

**_'But no Mackenzie to lead us._' **I reminded myself gently.

I felt tears sliding down my face at our triumphant exit. I jumped into hugs and kisses of who-knew-who. There were slaps all around and a jovial air that hung about us and curled with loving tenderness around our family.

After the general happiness had begun to wear off, I calmed everyone down enough to give them a little speech. About how this would be a time for frivolities in honor of Mackenzie. Hanna raised her hands in the air after I had said this and said that she probably would have made us just practice for one day and then leave. I told _her_ that I wasn't Mackentosh and that I could tell when my friends needed a day off.

And a shower.

I cleared my throat and started off onto what I thought would be a heart-wrenching speech. I would be remembered for this for the rest of my life. My friends never let me forget it…

_"My friends. Together we are gathered upon what I now dub sacred land. Together as one, we mourn the loss of a dear friend, and companion, Mackenzie. I pray that her soul not lie trapped beneath cold stone like the rest of her. May she fly unto Heaven upon the downy wings of angels. I ask that we have a moment of silence in her honor…"_

Here, I raised both hands to the sky and clasped them tightly, imagining the violent youth I remembered Mackenzie being. I squeezed my hands and shot my prayers to the Heavens. I pictured Mackenzie's spirit lingering with us a while longer whilst I continued my speech, and knew she had looked over us while we were fighting the snake.

_"Dear people. Faithful companions. True and loving human beings. I know not what dangers into which I lead you, but know that from here on out, I **shall** lead you out in one piece. You shall have ever-lasting unity and love beneath me. For if one of you falls, we all go down with you. I will leave no one man-or woman-behind. Not while the blood surges through my veins and a heart beats in my chest." _

_"You all know how much losing Mackenzie hurt. We all share that same pain and that same feeling of loss. Maybe even hopelessness. I know that I do. Without her, we would not have been able to get to where we are now. But I hope that, in her stead, you shall accept me as your leader. Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." _

_"Know now that you are not the only ones afraid. I am quaking as of now, and I don't want to lose any of you. You are me family….My **one and only family…I wish us the best of luck. **Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts." _

And on this note, I finished. I stooped my shoulders and felt the weight of the world pushing in on me. I felt Mackenzie truly leave us for a better place and felt alone, so very alone, for the first time, that my quaking increased. I glanced up and saw Amy fixing me with an expression that clearly read:

_"So, you don't want to go back?" _

In response to her unspoken question I shook my head and stood up straighter; All the more confirming to my friends that I was accepting the daunting task of being leader.

"C'mon, Stoopid, we should get moving into the city. I'm _starved!_" Geoffrey cried, and yawned, stretching his arms high above his head. His muscles strained and I saw his stomach peak over the rim of his pants. He was awfully thin. This caused me to self-consciously rub my own body. I could feel my ribs and hips sticking out. The splendor of the sunrise was fading, to be suddenly replaced by a dull roar in my stomach.

Everyone was about to lose it. As we moved self-consciously toward the already-raging Liltian city, I smoothed my hands down the sides of my body and hair, trying not to look like a savage Mountain Woman; come out of the hills. I'm guessing that I wouldn't even be able to tell if I stank or not, for as I smelt the air, I caught only the faint whiff of baking bread. My mouth instantly filled with water, but I was so used to the stench of B.O. I guess my nose couldn't pick up a trace of it.

"Anyone else a bit nervous about this?" Sarah asked as we carefully picked our way down a rocky hillside. Little stones crumbled beneath our weary steps, making traveling difficult. We stayed close so that if one of us slipped and fell, we'd be able to catch them.

"Not particularly. No." Geoff said off-handily. He was stupidly hopping from rock to rock, light steps borne of many years hunting stealthily in the woods carrying him without a care in the world. I was envious. All the while, my decision to stay in this world made me not feel so happy. It wasn't like me…

"Kate, you OK?" Amy asked me, cutting off Hanna's walking path and almost making her fall flat on her face.

I smiled. Here she was again; always here for me. I nodded me head and brightened instantly. I wasn't going to think about that weird Gate or my choice or anything. I didn't want to make my companions worry unnecessarily. I gave her my biggest, toothiest grin.

"Yupskerdoodles, Amy-Doo! I'm feelin' supa-gangsta today! I'm so happy we're coming into civilization again!" I opened my mouth wide and let loose a whoop of joy.

Then there was this thing called grass. You know that green, leafy, stuff that pops out of the ground and you have to cut about once every week or two? Yeah, well, as it turns out, I really _was_ going back to my old ways, for as I leapt up, my eyes went closed with my mirth and I felt my ankles get caught around something and I got a big mouthful of that green crap.

"Peh!! Peh!!" I hacked up clumps of dirt and grabbed grass from my hair.

"st00pid. There's not even anything to _trip over_ there!" Nich guffawed, standing on a tiny stone and pulling me to my feet. He shook his head endearingly and asked what he would do with me. He turned away, laughter brimming the surface.

"Shut your face! Aren't YOU the one who freaking SHOE-SKIS in the hallways and then tries doing it on the brick floors and falls?!" I raged, buzzing angrily around his head. He reached behind me and smacked my head with his fist.

(**A/N**: Nishy actually DOES try and do that. Whenever we have a Band concert, we have to go to the high school auditorium, and there's this long shag-carpeted hallway. Nishy wears these shoes that are plated with freaking hard wooden soles. [These ALSO hurt- currently, I have a bad limp after a kick into my left kneecap! T-T He tries to ski on the carpet, and it works, until he got stupid this one time, skiing, he went unexpectedly far and went over that little rubber part that normally lines the carpet-hard tiled floor rooms, and he fell. It was gold!! )

"AWP! x " I shrieked, and fell back, but still undeterred, I followed after him, shouting curses and rants, him all the while threatening to hurt me more if I didn't shut up. I guess it was a rather comical sight to see me, being 5'8" and Nich being 6'3" arguing.

"Hey! Why'd he do tha-?!" Jakob snarled, unsheathing his sword angrily. He grabbed my shoulders from behind, just trying to check to see if I was OK.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you….!" Amy and Morgan said simultaneously. "Oops. Too late."

Out of instinct, I whirled around with my fists and began to beat angrily upon the chest of my attacker. I had this…erm-_issue_…with people coming up behind me. I let loose a howl and jumped into the air. I judged that the man was tall (I was still blinded, so I groped him…Not there, you pervs!! .) and landed on him; all the while beating out a continuous King-Kong rhythm.

"Muahaha!" The look works for ya, Katie!" Hanna laughed, seeing my eyes open at last. They were all blood-shot and tears were running down my face.

"So. Gettin' some action at last, eh?" Sarah asked me, nudging my ribs and glancing at the seemingly oblivious prince.

I blanched and flushed red.

"EEEK!! RAAAAPE!! NICHY, SAVE ME!!!" I cried. I ran and jumped into Nich's arms. "NOW, RUN!!" he held me and ran, the rest of the group following along at a leisurely pace. Except for Jakob. Who was trying to kill Sarah for that semi-sexual comment she'd made against me.

"How dare you sully the name of such an innocent girl with horrid words as those!!" He cried, racing around a scraggly tree.

"Hell, pal, it wasn't _her _I was after! It was only **blasphemy **against the Royal Family!" Sarah snapped irritably, not giving an inch to the enraged prince.

Steadily, all around us, the few scraggly trees that Sarah had used as cover from Jake made way for gently sloping up, neat and trimmed hedges. They looked healthy and beautiful. Much more so than any I found at home. They formed a path around us as we made our way forward.

"We're coming to a Gate." Jake explained. I nodded in understanding.

It seemed that the hedges were alive. Eyes felt like they were buzzing through the perfectly symmetrical green leaves on either side of me. I looked to the sky for hope, and the sunlight was just poking over the east side. I brushed myself off once more.

"What are the Lilties like?" I asked no one in particular. Anything to get my mind off of being followed. My head was swiveling annoying around on my shoulders, glancing into the shrubs on either side. There was a long walk to go yet.

Jake took up the task of explaining all this to me. I guessed this was because being a prince; he had many a political responsibility and had had to deal with Lilties before.

"Well….Lilties, oh where do I possibly begin??" he sighed out loud, the sound bouncing awkwardly off the hedges. There was nowhere for the sound to go, so the muffled emission noise seemed out of place. Lilties are absolutely your best fighting characters. You have no point in using magic unless you are facing off against a monster in a single battle. Or if you're by yourself. They hit hard and a well powered and well knowledged Lilty teammate can clear out enemies while the rest of the caravan backs 'em up. They are incredibly stubborn and hate being made fun of for their-erm…" Here, the prince broke off into an awkward silence. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words that would describe a Lilty without sending one into a frenzied rage.

And me, being the slightly insensitive, tactless person that I am, asked brazenly, "What? Do they have some kind of weird deformity?"

I looked up at Jakob expectantly, wondering if I had categorized this new race of people correctly. He looked stricken. "What?"

My friends' blanched faces worried me. I looked around at them all now, and then took to notice that we weren't moving at all. My head swiveled around and they came into contact with a heavy, thick, wooden door the size of the Statue of Liberty. It was an imposing wall. It was the kind of thing that frightened me, and yet made me feel bemused at the same time. I curled my head back onto my neck and searched for the top of it.

The blazing sunshine, which I wasn't quite used to yet, startled my eyes and I flung up my hand to protect them. It was quite early in the morn and I had lost all remembrance of which date it was, or what month, or what season.

This still didn't explain to me what the articulations on my friends' faces meant. My question was soon answered by the soundless opening of a door around my midriff. I looked down, surprised and startled at the same time. I was stomach-to-face with a Lilty for the first time. If I said I was surprised, I would be lying. I was flabbergasted.


	30. A New World

**RAC: **FYI, I make chapters a bit beforehand, and a lot longer. They're generally 9 pages, size 9 TNR. So far I've got 14 of these "complete" chapters.

**Katie:** I did six hours on three chapters! I am so making good timing! _laughs_

**Nich:** _asks Hanna_ Have you called the asylum?

**Hanna:** I told them what she did to make us think she was crazy, and they said, it was just a common disorder most fanfic writers get.

**Nich:** Darn.

**Katie:** My story will rule the others! MUAHAHA!

**Hanna:** See?

**Nich:** I do.

Things tend to formulate not-so-true images in my mind, so when I saw the head of a small, what I thought _child_ peering up at me through piercingly blue eyes, I gaped.

"Who are you?" the Lilty asked us at large. I, with my large mouth hanging open, was pushed into the back of our caravan.

_"What did I say?" _I whisper-asked Hanna.

_"You **obviously **weren't paying attention when the Prince was telling us about the Liltian race, were you?!" _She hissed angrily. _"He said that the Lilties get angered really easily, and there you went, saying that they had some kind of deformity!"_

I pondered what this meant as Jake chatted up the Lilty, explaining that, although our rather…disheveled attire, he was the prince and this was his traveling caravan on a mission. The Lilty seemed suspicious until Jake started prattling on about his ancestry and everything he knew about everything.

_"Show off…_" I heard Geoffrey mutter under his breath, his hair slicked down with grease and hands thrust angrily into his pockets.

I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow in his direction. Evidently, Jake had convinced the short Lilty of his heritage and it started barking orders to its fellows that were evidently perched on roosts high above us.

"Welcome, my friends, to Alfitaria." the Lilty said elegantly as the doors were thrust open. I was met with a cacophony of smells, noises, and people that I had never seen before. It was so much to take in, and yet I was only just standing on the threshold of this new world. The tall gate and the odd muffling abilities of the hedges explained somewhat why I was unable to detect any noise further in.

The Lilty identified itself as Haragnelle.

"Please, allow me to take you to one of our luscious inns, Your Highness," she bowed. I noticed she was a woman by the way her armor, a mixture of green and yellows, bulged slightly at the chest. I began taking in the other details of her appearance:

She had on what appeared to be a thick, green, leather jumper. Tied across her knees, and elbows, and chest there was lain a shiny silver armor. She had brown gloves over her what-I-knew-would-be-calloused hands, along with metal grips. Her shoes were metal and pointed at the front and at the back. Her weapon appeared to be made of some kind of blue-green material and was pointed at five places at the top. Like a multi-turreted trident. And what I thought the Lilties' deformity was in fact, just peach-colored hair tied into a ponytail and fastened on top of her head.

I took note that this caused her to look like a peach-head, and thought better of saying this aloud to my other companions.

"We would be honored, Haragnelle." Jakob said gracefully bowing around the midriff.

And then we were off.

I was whisked into a vaguely familiar place, but I couldn't quite remember where I might've seen it before. There were many other Lilties, all having the same height and build that it was hard to tell them apart from behind, for that was where a lot of them were: stalls and booths and shops, poking their heads out from windows set down into the walls, calling out bids and various items that they were selling or making, sometimes waving down a wary customer with the promise of a free Striped Apple or Rainbow Grape.

And there were many _other _species mingling within this city's walls: one in particular that caught my eye was the beautiful ones. They were graceful and elegant and with faces so dang _feminine_ that I found it difficult to distinguish between which was a girl and which was a boy. Except for their chests. They had big, round eyes and thick, long, silver hair that bounced with smooth swirls or was otherwise short and shimmered in the daylight. I saw one wearing a red bandana and fur-lined clothes. I assumed that he, for I _thought_ it was a he, was from the north, for he had on long clothes and high black stockings. The females of this new breed all wore embarrassingly skimpy outfits.

They all had pointed sleeves that jabbed out once they reached the elbow, short skirts that were slit all the way up one side, and boots with little rounded guards. A fur-lined bikini-type strip of cloth was all that kept their bouncing, jiggling breasts confined.

I was an amazed tourist. It was rather embarrassing to have to be lead through one of the world's strongest forts in rags and smelling like…_whatever_, but it was another to be gawking at everyone that was gawking at me. Beneath our feet seemed to be impossibly even cobblestones fitted with varying shades of sunlight-yellow and eggshell-white. There were no potholes, but there _were _many twists and turns that we took.

High above our heads, in tall buildings, the different peoples of this town went about their daily business. I could hear babies wailing amidst the many other calls and shouts, and scolding.

The streets were a bit smaller than average, so's to accommodate so many people living in one area. It was like Tokyo, Japan; a city I had always dreamt of going to, but was too poor to go. I felt poor now, looking at myself in mirrors that hung like mocking reminders that I was a fool for coming into this city looking so the worse for wear.

"Here we are!" Haragnelle announced with a flourish, waving her arms behind her small body. I looked up, my mouth still agape, and saw what the inn was to be.

It was a large place, made of wood on all sides with a cute li'l set of steps that ran up the front towards an enormous oaken door set in a metal frame. Bright, shining windows gave me a view into its depths which portrayed a cozy night's rest.

"Why's the door so big?" Amy asked suspiciously, pointing at said door which was about 15 feet tall, making me feel dwarfed.

"Ah, you see, the Clavats that run the place are a trusting race and allow all…_sorts_ of people into their inn. They're too nice to some folks, those dang Clavats are," Haragnelle spat under her breath.

I cocked an eyebrow.

"And…h-how much i-is it going to cost?" I asked, waving vaguely at its enormous shape. The sounds of a pipe flute came trickling out of an open window around the bend.

"Oh, you are the Prince's guard, so the stay is on the house, I assure you!" the small Lilty chirped. "Now, you guys just hurry on in. I still have gate duty, ya know!"

At this, Haragnelle took true to her word and disappeared amidst the rather raucous crowd of people.

"Um…Let's go?" Jakob told no one in particular. It seemed to me that he didn't like having all this attention.

At the soft squeak of the well-oiled hinges all things inside the inn stopped, turned, and eyed our little caravan with mild interest before turning away to mind their own affairs. I was self-consciously aware of the fact that I was a horrible mess as I saw the group of immaculately dressed Selkies in the far off corner turn and eye my grimy body.

_'Who do they think they are, anyway? This is just like school! The pretty are the most popular, but also the most isolated.' _

I noted how the other races of the land were seated in an entirely different section of the inn altogether.

The Selkies apparently thought very highly of themselves, or were just swanky. The way they flaunted their perfectly toned, well-endowed bodies reminded me oddly of the girls I saw often at the pool in my own world: They wore as little clothing as possible, and seemed to _still_ get the best guys, despite their prissy demeanor. The guys and men sitting amongst them were gorgeous, but hard to distinguish from the women. In the quiet little group, there were a few beautiful children that sat primly on their mothers' laps, their hands folded across their laps.

_'Now that's just unnatural!'_ I thought to myself, picturing my nephew, Corbin, who wouldn't sit still for anything.

In the far right corner sat a cluster of Yukes, distinguished by their imposing metal masks that shielded their faces from the world. They sipped their drinks and tossed a bread to eachother. It was odd, but they still weren't as daunting as the Selkies, who seemed to _demand_ respect and awe from others.

Closest to our right were a group of Lilties, eagerly chatting away about the latest fighting techniques that they had learned and of the location of the nearest sword smith.

And in the center of it all were the Clavats. These were the most human-looking of all the land's inhabitants. They bore no obvious signs of non-human traits, like the odd Yuke-height or the peach-shaped head of the Lilties.

What I _did_ notice was the strange resemblance of their clothes to mine. It was odd, and definitely something I would need to ask these people about later.

The Clavats easily made up the largest and most rambunctious gathering of citizens in the whole inn, which, in itself, was a rather accommodating place. The males, both young and old, were playing an odd version of some sort of card-game with each other, bursting into odd fits of laughter whenever one of them "lost" and gave something to the winner under the table. They would then laugh good-naturedly and whisper something in his ear, which would set off the rest of the group.

The women were sitting at the end of the large, rectangular table, giggling and, most likely, gossiping about the cute blonde-haired Clavat who had just lost and was blushing rather cutely. These women covered their bodies, their hairs were varying shades of gold and chocolate, and they were plucking out a catchy tune on little string instruments they had in their laps, their delicate fingers striking up a lively dance tune that carried out into the streets from the open door behind us.

Amidst the burbling civilians was a young woman about three years older than myself, and an older woman. In these days and ages, I guessed the younger one was the woman's apprentice or something of the sort. They were both female Clavats and were busy shuffling around, getting food and drink for the people.

We were stuck in the doorway for about ten minutes before the two mistresses noticed us. The old woman bustled over, wiping a glass with a white rag, both of which she hastily stuffed into her apron that hung off her still-vivacious body in a slip of pale peach. She had graying brown hair pulled back into a braid and crinkles around her mouth and eyes as if she spent a lot of time laughing.

As she hurried up to us, she signaled with her hand that the younger woman should come up as well. She shuffled over, her long messy blonde hair dangling in her eyes as she dipped her head respectively. She clasped her hands beneath her waist in a submitted gesture. She clapped her feet together and shot the prince a shy look before looking away. I felt my insides twist in amusement and a smirk crept onto my lips.

**RAC: **I found a sweet font for the story. If it's too difficult to read, lemme know and I'll change it. I don't think this CloisterBlack BT will show up…XD Oh well!!


	31. I See her in my Dreams

**In Real-Life-2007 **

**Katie**: _Mutters spell over computer._

**Amy**: What are you doing? _Stares as smoke starts to fill the room_.

**Katie**: There. It is done. _Claps hands and the smoke disappears_.

**Amy**: Hey…Aren't they the three characters from your story?

**Katie**: _Says proudly_ Yep! Geoffrey, Gaia, and Jakob, welcome to the Katie's room.

**Gaia**: Where am I? I thought we'd just gone to that crazy inn!

**Jakob**: And I thought I had been thinking how hot that Selkie babe in the corner was!

**Katie**: Well sit down. This is going to take a while to explain. _Sits next to story characters on bed_. I just cast a spell on my computer, and here you are!

**Amy**: That sure didn't take long.

**Geoffrey**: Riight…

**Gaia**: Cool! I'm going to kick a certain someone else's ass soon too! _Reading computer_

**Katie**: _Sigh_ Back to work! _Sits at computer chair_

"Well, well, well! Prince Jakob!" the older woman exclaimed, throwing her arms around said prince and squeezing him tightly. She giggled and set him down again, gazing up into his eyes with a thoughtful glance towards me, who stood at his side and about a foot below him, 6 inches above her. She cracked a grin and asked, "How've you been dearie?"

Jakob blushed sweetly and scratched his cheek. "Aunt Margaret, please. I'm on a quest right now. These are my fellow caravaners." He gestured behind him, almost cuffing the back of my head. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned to the older woman.

"Hello. My name's Katie. How do you do?" I asked politely, holding out my hand.

This made the woman's eyes squeeze shut and she let forth a loud burst of laughter. She stepped forward and lifted me off the ground, all 5'6" of me, and swung me around.

Whilst spinning, I could see the Clavats casting me curious stares. Appraently, this didn't happen very often. Soon after, Margaret set me back on my feet with an exclamation of,

"She's-so-CUUUTE!"

Naturally me, with my independent feelings, shrank back behind Amy who assumed a defensive posture to protect me from any more random glompings.

"Please, Auntie. Don't make a scene!" Jakob pleaded.

"Auntie Margaret" smiled at me and said, "Two rooms 'ought to be enough. Follow me."

At this, we moved forward through the crowded inn, stepping around stomping feet and wandering hands. Up the stairs we went until we came to the third floor. Margaret lead us to the end of the hallway, the dreary – yet pretty – apprentice girl following closely behind.

When we stopped, there were two doors opened that were side-by-side, oak, and inside the comforts were well-designed, with floral patterns and bright colors.

"Oh, yeah! This is totally not going to turn me into a pansy…!" Geoffrey mumbled under his breath as he eyed the stenciled flowers on the walls inside his room.

"Too late!!" I whispered quickly before darting into the girls' room where he couldn't follow.

Antie Margaret poked her head in just as Sarah was coming in and threw her backpack on the ground by the door.

"Ladies, if you need to take a bath, which I highly suggest you do, it's on the ground floor, next to the restrooms, OK? Dinner will be available on the ground floor at dusk." She gave the room in general a sweet smile, and me, a knowing smile before dashing off, that strange other girl following behind her.

"OK, was she a completely obvious head-case or what?!" I spat out, trying to hide my discomfort.

Amy gave me a smirk and busied herself with choosing a bed.

I noticed that nobody else would meet my gaze. I glared at them all and spat. "Whatever, you idiots. I'm going to take a bath."

I stomped off down the hall, angrily slamming the door closed on my way past.

The guys' door opened and Nich popped out, wrapping his monkey tail around the doorknob.

"Where ya' goin, Kit-Kat?" he asked me, calling me by my nickname from my time.

I threw him a nasty grin over my shoulder and stormed off without a word and no explanation for my anger.

As I rounded the corner, I smacked into Shy-Girl. I wondered what she was doing up here. She carried a bundle wrapped in a cloth that she clutched protectively to her chest when I reached out to steady myself.

"Oh. Hello. My name's Katie. What's yours?" I asked sort of sarcastically, unable to keep the edginess out of my voice. I held my hand out and expected this weird person to shake it and introduce herself. Instead, she just bowed her head and barreled down to the boys' door. I cocked an eyebrow and continued along my not-so-merry way.

When I reached the ground floor, it was to find the Selkies at the register paying for their meals and the Clavats dispersing for the night. The Lilties were packing away their swords and armor and strode by me; on their way to their own rooms, respectively. They chattered about fighting still. The Yukes were still in their corner, appearing not to have moved at all. I grimaced at my own smell and searched the room for Margaret.

I spotted her by the register, bickering with a Selkie about some sort of petty thievery. I stepped up and asked politely, "Excuse me. Margaret? Could you c'mere for a second?"

The inn-keeper dismissed the bitter Selkie who huffed and stalked out the door in a hurry. She came around the counter and leaned up against it. "What can I help ya with?" She asked me.

"Um. I was wanting to take a bath, but…we've kinda been stuck in the mountains for a month, and I don't have any clean clothes or anything…Do you think I could borrow something to wear? And a place to wash my clothes? I'll pay you back, I promise. But I need to get a job and we lost almost everything in the wilderness, and--,"

I was babbling. I hate it when I do that! Normally, I don't shut up, but get me going like this, and I just can't—ARGH! Just get on with the story already!!

Margaret giggled softly and waved me into silence. I cupped my hands together and looked at my toes in embarrassment. "May I?" I asked.

"Of course dearie. You go on ahead into the tub. Down that back hallway and to your left; it's the third floor." She told me. "I'll go fetch something of Justine's for you to wear. Be back in a jiffie." She bustled off after this, graciously thanking customers as they filed past her. I waited for her footsteps to fade up the stairs before taking the rather unnoticeable door that stood sentry to the right of them.

Hanging on the walls were oil lanterns lighting a path down the darkened hallway that had no windows.

'Atleast that cuts out the problems for peeping toms!' I thought happily, counting the doors until I came to the third one. I pushed it open and was face-to-face with an – I couldn't believe it – open-air bath!

Sure, I had read LoveHina and InuYasha so I knew what these kinds of things were all about, but all of a sudden I felt very, very dirty and looked over my shoulder as if expecting some sort of pervert to slink through the door. I shivered in the warm sunlight and stepped away from the door, softly shutting it.

I walked over to the edge of the springs and looked around me; there was a 15-foot fence bordering the place, so if a pervert were going to peep, he'd have to bring a hook-and-claw…and then his life insurance.

I stripped down to nothing and slipped my feet into the water. It was almost too hot to bear, but also was strangely relaxing. I slowly put myself the rest of the way in, up to my neck, and just sat there for a couple of minutes, taking in the feeling of the dirt getting out of my clogged pores and hair. I dove under the water and slid along the bottom of the hot spring until I came around a bend in its path and popped up for air. Slapping my wet hair up against the rock, I made myself comfortable and began scratching at my skin, getting "clean."

'Shit! I shoulda asked for some soap too.' I thought angrily. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' I yelled in my mind.

But all was well; I was getting clean, my boy problems were at their all time lowest, and I was ina hot spring. A hot spring! (And you guys thought I was such a hard-to-please girl.)

I let out a long sigh of pleasure and draped myself over the sandy lip of the spring. My hair covered my eyes and I suddenly felt them become very, very heavy. I allowed them to shut and my mind to drift off into a pleasant dream.

Atleast, it was pleasant until I saw the door. That great big, golden one. In my dream; and it was open this time. I was naked in the dream too; although I didn't seem to mind. Here, I felt curious about the gate and not as afraid of it as I had been when I'd first seen it. I walked up cautiously to the door and peered inside. I gasped.

It was just like the Garden of Eden. Paradise. Heaven. What ever you wanted to call it.

I stepped into the lush paradise; my feet treading on pure green turf which bounced underneath my weight. I gaped at the fruitful trees and the clearness of the blue night sky, of which I could see every star. So unlike in my era.

Up ahead of me, I spotted a clearing that was surrounded by bushes. I walked up to it and pushed my way through, the branches not being scratchy at all. My skin was as smooth as before I went through. I was in an area that was covered with a sandy bottom with a few stones speckling its otherwise pristine, yet sort of ethereal appearance. Then I saw who was sitting on one of those stones: Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously, her limbs, lithe like a cat's, were twined around a saber, and she stared right at me, a smile playing around the corners of her pale lips.

"Mackenzie...!" I whispered, moreso to myself than to anyone. My eyes widened in shock and it felt as if my heart would burst with love and my eyes with tears. "I thought…I thought-you-you….were dead!" I exclaimed softly, taking a few tentative steps forward. I stumbled slightly, my footing not so good now, and collapsed in the sand, still staring at my resurrected friend from the past. Her body had been restored to normal; a time before she had been imprisoned in the year 1221.

Mackenzie leapt off the stone with a graceful leap and she landed on the sand without so much as setting a grain out of place. She seemed to float towards me, rather than walk. And then she stood right above me, and I…

I could see straight through her.

"Oh my God…You are dead!" I exclaimed. I reached forward to brush my hand through her knees, but she stood back, giving me a grunt.

"You stupid fool. Of course I'm dead." She snapped irritably. She crossed her arms, her form quivering slightly before settling back into its semi-solid shape.

"But, does that mean that…I'm-dead….too?" I asked, looking down at myself. Mackenzie sighed huffily as if she wanted nothing to do with me. She took my hand forcefully in hers and pulled me to my feet.

"No. Don't even think such a stupid thought!" She told me. "You've been sent here for a special reason. The three Fates have already spun out your fate from many centuries ago. You have been destined to fulfill your fate since your first incarnation."

"My…what? I asked incredulously.

Mackenzie didn't answer. She plowed on straight ahead and shot a semi-frightened glance at the stars overhead as if she would be struck down by them at any moment. She wanted to say what she had to say…and quickly."

"Katie: what you've been doing your whole life has been written down in history; before you were born. But you were given a gift that He knew not. He knows that you will be able to defeat him if you are to tap into this gift before your time comes," she went on.

"Wait. Who is this 'He'?" I asked. I shook my hand free of Mackenzie's grip.

She turned toward me, and I saw fear. Fear glittering in the dark depths of her eyes. I felt my blood run cold as she said one more thing.

**_"Katie. The king of Conal Kurach knows your secret." _**


	32. A Virgin Shall Not Rape Unconscious Men

**Amy:** Wow. You are quite the perverted writer sometimes.

**Katie (is author):** Thank you. Glad to see someone appreciates my writing. _Sticks tongue out at Nich_

**Nich:** Bitch

**Katie:** Asshole

**Nich:** _Stands up and unsheathes his weapon_

**Katie:** Nich. No need to be drastic. _Cowering in corner_

**Nich:** Aura Shot!

I stared at her blankly.

"Say wha--?" I asked.

"Go! Now! I can say no more. He prowls this land at his will. It is not safe for you here. I will send for you when the time comes. Until then; I pray, _don't you come back!!_" At his, Mackenzie took my shoulders and ran with me back to the entrance of this world. She hurled me through the entrance, and I saw her fear break as the doors began to close.

_I was safe_.

_Splish! Splosh! _

I awoke with a start. For a moment I was scared spitless. I jumped up; until I saw myself naked through the steam and heard voices just along the way. My face drained its blood until I felt lightheaded, and I swooned, and fell back down with a loud splash.

_"What was that?!_" I heard a male voice say. I heard water rippling around the bend. Just above the top of the rock I spotted a pony-tailed brown head and two black-haired men. My eyes widened and I screeched; the sound of it echoing throughout the perimeter.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU PERVERTS!!" I shrieked, angrily thrashing around, sending droplets of water into my eyes and a tidal wave into those of Nich, Jakob, and Geoffrey.

"WOAH! What the hell, Katie?!" Geoffrey snarled, diving back behind the rock for safety.

"EEP!" I covered my eyes as he went, blushing down to my toes.

"Nobody told us you were in here…," Prince Jakob said delicately.

"Psychotic bitch…!" Nich mumbled under his breath, shaking his waist-length black hair out of his eyes.

I shot them all a death glare.

"What are you still doing here then? I'm _bathing_ you know!" I pointed out. As if they didn't know. I hoped they didn't get an eyeful.

"As if I care? It's not as if I haven't seen a naked _girl_ before," Geoff scoffed lightly and looked over the top of the stone.

"YOU STUPID, SENSELESS BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!" I bellowed, thrashing around again.

"C'mon, man. She _is_ a woman, you know. She probably likes to bathe in privacy," Jakob pointed out delicately, grabbing the bandit leader's arm in a vice-grip, though keeping his eyes averted. Geoff whipped around to face him and give him a smart remark.

I took this moment to dive underneath the water, cloudy with steam now that the sun was almost about to set.

I frantically paddled away and came up further away. I sat there, clutching my arms over my chest and back pressed roughly against a boulder.

"That…_jerk_!" I sniffled. Unwillingly, unbidden, tears were sliding down my cheeks. My lower lip was trembling with anger so I bit it, but it didn't stop the whines that came out.

Nich pricked his ears toward me. "You guys…she's _crying._" He said disbelievingly.

The bickering duo's hostility came to a sudden halt as they quieted; they could hear my sniveling from all the way on the other side of the bath.

"_Brainless oaf!_" Jakob spat angrily, shoving off the rock and swimming up silently behind my rock. Nich and Geoffrey stayed back, wanting to see what l might do to the unsuspecting prince.

"Katie?"

I flinched and covered my body with as much of my arms as possible.

"What do you want, pervert?" I snarled, turning sideways.

I felt the water stir and the next thing I knew, Jakob had his back pressed against mine in a comforting position.

"Aww, c'mon. Don't be like that…!" He told me gently.

Over a ways, I could hear two simultaneous gasps and possibly a snarl.

_"What does he think he's doing?!_"

I turned even redder and tried no to think about how much of our bare skin was touching.

"I can be however I want. Now don't lecture me on how to act, _pervert_" I spat.

"Oh, I assure you, Ms. Kaitlyn, that I am no more a pervert than that bandit is a king." Jakob assured me, turning around and wrapping his arms around my neck.

"_Get off of me!!"_ I snarled, wriggling around uncomfortably.

"Be still and I will release you. Forgive me and I will leave," Jakob told me simply.

I let myself relax as much as I could without thinking about most of the prince's naked body. I weighed the possibilities: Being still meant I would have to stay in the presence of three naked men while I finished my bath.

_'Three **gorgeous**_ men,' I told myself.

My second option was to forgive him and have him leave me alone for the rest of the night.

_'Like hell it's any choice. I can never forgive this…this—man!—for peeping at me! And look at him! It's like…sexual assault or something!! Although, he does have nice, strong biceps…,'_

I let out a sigh of pleasure and caught myself before it was finished. I looked up at Jakob and caught his eyes glancing down at two things I had relinquished whilst in my fantasy. I paled and thrust him off of me.

"GOD DAMMIT, YOU #$ING A$$HOLE!!!!!!!!!" I shrieked, beating him over the head with my fists.

"Ooooh," Geoff and Nich flinched in their turns as they heard me beating the shit out of the defenseless, albeit; _gorgeous _and naked prince with my bare fists. It was only when they saw a tiny trickle of blood flowing towards them that they got the picture and dressed quickly, running in terror, out of the bathing area.

With the departure of the two pervs, I realized I had almost committed murder and treason.

_'Well, it was for my integrity,' _I told myself angrily as the last echoes of terror faded amidst the streets.

The prince was drifting uselessly in a semi-state of unconsciousness near my naked bum and I forced myself not to shriek. It wasn't his fault that I was unable to control my anger until he started to bleed. I sighed and, not looking below his chiseled abdomen, grabbed him from under the armpits and dragged him to the edge of the pool. I flipped him so that he was face-up, staring listlessly at the semi-dark evening above our heads.

My dark brown hair, now dangling past my shoulder blades, brushed lightly against his chest and I shivered, but it wasn't from the warm night air. My breath came in heavy rasps, and my eyes clouded slightly. I leaned forward so that my breath was tickling Jakob's lips.

I knew that I was being a hypocrite when it came to calling people pervs, but surely one little kiss from the prince wouldn't hurt, right? I mean, I hadn't even had my first one, and he was just _so_ beautiful….

I heard a giggle. A small, oddly familiar giggle.

I looked up, the moment gone, and caught the eye of Jakob's aunt, Margaret, leaning smugly against the entrance to the spring door, the trace of knowing a secret nobody else did dancing around her lips.

I jumped up with a squeal and began throwing out desperate excuses as to why I was molesting her nephew.

"I-It's not what you look like! I SWEAR!!!!" I yelled.

Margaret smiled and just giggled some more.

"Katie…was it? Well, here are your clothes. I've taken the liberty of doing some laundry and your clothes are out drying on the line, even the ones that were out here. I hope you'll be dressed in time for…dinner…!"

The way the woman scuttled off, gently closing the door behind her gave me the feeling that she thought Jakob and I were…_doing the nasty_.

"Um…as much as I like the view, Katie, I kinda need to get dressed."

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I bellowed, freaking out once again. I dove away from the prince and yelled, "Stay where you are you…you…CRADLE ROBBER!!" I shrieked. I bounded out and grabbed the clothes that Auntie Margaret had laid out for me without even looking at them. I wrapped it around myself and streaked for my bedroom, praying everyone was washing up for dinner.

Fortunately, I reached the room without meeting anyone. Except for that bastard, Geoff. I was so pissed off that I couldn't think up anything witty to reply with when he asked me scathingly,

"So? Are you really _that_ good?"

I mean, _honestly_! It's like he thinks I _intentionally _bathe with men! I just fell asleep on accident. It really wasn't that big of a deal, anyway!! Wait….WHAT AM I SAYING?!?!?!

I slipped into my room where, as I'd thought, my friends were, washing up in one of the small washbasins in the corner. They eyed me like I always went around in the nude and continued on their way, without casting me a second look.

I took this moment of ignoredness to take a gander at the clothes I had been given. I was appalled. It was a long skirt that went to the ground and a low-cut, short-sleeved top.

The skirt, once on, hugged my hips. I felt my eyes bugging out of my head. Normally, I wouldn't even have been caught _dead _near one of these…_girly_ things, but as I didn't know where my other clothes had got to, this was what I was stuck with. The floral trim around the bottom of the skirt _was _kinda pretty though, and the ruffles weren't _so_ bad…if you _liked_ those kinda things. It was a dark blue.

_'At least it wasn't pink!' _I thought happily to myself. I pulled the shirt over my head. It was white, also with a baby-blue flower-border driving along the neckline.

"Woah. Look at _you_!" Amy exclaimed once I'd come out of my dark corner.

Damn. I'd been hoping to escape unnoticed. Well, I suppose it comes with having 4 other girls in a room. Damn again…

"Oh, shut up! It's not like I picked it out myself!!" I snapped, angrily thrusting my fists into the folds of the skirt. I blushed scarlet and decided not to wait on anyone for dinner. I flung open the door and, snarling and spitting to myself, came face-to-face with Jakob who had his fist raised into the knocking position. Instantly, I turned a bright red and ran past him, my skirt angrily whipping around his legs, causing me to stumble. With my back turned, I didn't see the pained expression on his face.

"What was _that_ about, I wonder?" Sarah asked quizzically, pulling on a clean pair of breeches.

I was panting hard and there were butterflies racing through my stomach; pinging off the walls and making me feel so sick. I leaned against the wall and slid down it, embarrassed as hell. I clenched my hands into fists and pulled myself up roughly, angered—again—at finding myself so emotionally weak.

I ran my hands over my face to check for tears, and rounded the last bend in the hall.

"Why, hellooooo!" Margaret chirped, clasping me in one of her hugs that I was beginning to feel really, _really_ uncomfortable in. I flushed and backed away.

"You have some nerve, you know that, Lady?" I snarled, completely losing my head. "I mean, what kinda person just _stands_ there while a girl's bathing, eh? Are you a lesbian? Bisexual? Incestuous? Because I seem to recall you being there when _Jakob_ was there too. And _naked_" I pointed out, thrusting a finger into her short, little, round face. Having spent all my energy, I thought back on what I had said, and gasped. "Oh, my god! I am so sorry! I never meant that! Any of it! Please, forgive me! Sometimes, I just lose my head when I'm flustered…!!!!"

I caught the obvious look of stress on Margaret's face. It didn't help my mood any. One moment, I was happy as hell, then embarrassed, then STRESSED BEYOND ALL BELIEF, then said, and now shitty. Damn, I'm a busy woman!

"I'm…sorry, Katie. I was just teasing you, you know. And you have every right to be angry, of course. I hardly know you and already I'm treating you like my niece-in-law. It's just that…when I saw you and Jakob together, he seemed so genuinely _happy._ I've never seen such a pleased expression on his face. Come here; let me tell you a story about why I live such a long ways away from my precious nephew…,"


	33. Anecdote of the Past

**Katie: **_dead_

**Jakob: **GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

**Amy: **How could you?_cracks Nich upside the head with her sword_.

**Nich: **Well she deserved it.

**Geoffrey: **Nowwe'll never get to know the end of the story…Y.Y

**Hanna: **Guess I'll have to work my magic…_walks toward Nich with an evil look on her face_.

**Nich: **_says worriedly_What are you going to do?

**Hanna: **Alakazhee!

"Oh! Please, I'm not asking you to reveal any family secrets to me or anything! I just wanted to let you know that I was sorry; really, _truly_, sincerely, sorry," I told her.

"_If you want to make it up to me, then get over here and let me tell you a story._" Margaret said rather forcefully. I didn't expect such a snappish response, but obliged immediately. I wouldn't pass up a chance to learn more about the mysterious prince. I pulled out a chair from the table and clasped my hands over my knees, my eyes trained on Margaret's lips, ears focused; the perfect pretty picture of listening.

"Good. Well, I wanted to say that, back—about ten years, I suppose—there was a war. It was all about the power in this region. In case you didn't know, the borders extend all the way to the Jordin Sea. Anyway, Jakob's mother was married to a powerful, fearful, yet extremely loyal man. He ruled the people with an iron fist, but always stuck up for what he believed in. He kept all monsters from coming near River Belle castle; back then, the capital of the region. 

"But one year, the king caught an illness. Nobody knew what it was. Not even the most powerful Yukian warlocks were able to cure him. He died a horrible death. It was very slow. It ate away his lungs, I believe. The acid from his stomach was ruptured and slowly rose to dissolve his lungs. He couldn't breathe. Suffocated.

"This man gave Jakob's mother one child and one only: him. This meant that Jakob was the one destined to take over the kingdom when he came of age.

"Now, this meant that the enemies of the king of River Belle Path sought to destroy his son. For if there were no heir, there would be no River Belle, and the lands would be kingless. With no leader, its people would be helpless and theirs for the taking.

"One night, the Goblins and Orcs, and Abaddons of neighboring alien nations began to march into the land, pillaging and destroying everything they could reach. I knew this, for I had just completed a caravan and was on my way home when I passed them. A _terrible _screeching yell and stink they let off. I don't know _how_ I made it by, but somehow I did, and I rode with all the power and speed God could spare. I arrived what I determined to be two weeks before the enemy would storm the city and destroy the royal family.

"I was exhausted and filthy. I hadn't eaten in over a week, and my water had long since run out. So when I burst into the Golden Hall upon a filthy bay stallion, I was taken captive, believed to be a prisoner or spy from the evil lands.

"In the dungeon, I was tortured and interrogated. I repeatedly tried to tell the guards to let me see the queen; that what I said concerned the fate of her and her child, her lands and her people, and that if she did not hear my words, we would all be slaughtered like pigs. I cried out for her. Days upon days I screamed.

_"My Queen! My sister! Hear my words! The destruction of your people is upon you! I may well be...**the final cry of men**...!!_

"But she did not listen. I was there for four more days, whipped and lashed, and all the while, my sister was up in her room, probably comforting Jakob as he was. Telling him that the cries he heard at night were nothing more than the ramblings of a lunatic.

"But I continued, and on the dawn of the fifth day she came to see me. She was angry, and was yelling at me even as she came down the stairs, Jakob at her side; already the dutiful young prince. He had wide, innocent eyes, and I didn't want him to see me so. I told my sister this.

"If you have anything to tell me, you can say it in front of Prince Jakob here," she sniffed airily.

"It took many hours before I had convinced the queen that I was her sister; freshly returned from a caravan, but now imprisoned in my own dungeon. Least to say, she wasn't happy. She ordered that I be released and given the proper garments and food I deserved. But I denied it all. I needed to tell the queen about the enemy. How they were upon us and their purpose.

"I tried telling my sister that the creatures came with the purpose to destroy the royal family and that they intended to slaughter her and my nephew. I tried telling her that she needed to get as far away from here as possible and leave behind an army to meet the evil warriors. But she did not.

"She'd decided to stay. But she was weird. For a week, she stayed, locked in her room with the Yukian warlock that had tried saving her husband. I was left in charge of the prince. After seven days had passed, the queen came out, looking fit and yet gaunt. Her eyes were shallow pools that I was suddenly unable to read. This was not the same woman who had so fiercely protected River Belle Path in the past. I'd demanded to be told the locations of the Yuke who'd taught her…

"But he was gone. He vanished without a trace, and nobody's seen a neither hi, nor hey of him since.

"I had been gathering troops from all over the massive kingdom around the capital and when you looked out the ramparts, from the top of the castle, you could see their tents stretch on for miles and miles…"

I stopped Aunt Margaret and gasped. "You don't mean to tell me that that Yuke….that taught the queen--"

"Yes. He had taught the queen how to merge a human with an animal. Soon enough, she had a gargantuan hybrid army, and our animal species depleted to almost nothing. But we were strong. Or, atleast, _I _thought we were.

"But we weren't. I hadn't bothered to tell the queen that while she had been studying dark magic, the populous that had come flooding to her aid were too young or too old to fight. The only truly capable warrior was a wizened old woman of about…sixty or so. A centaur I believe…with piercing blue eyes…."

"Mackentosh…!!" I gasped again.

Margaret nodded and continued. "She led our troops; I, alongside her. It was a fierce and terrible battle. Our troops, as I had predicted, did not fare well. We did manage to drive back the enemy to Alfitaria—then an abandoned mass of plains, but no further, and when we came home, it was to a capital a tenth the size of its original glory.

"After this…A month or so sounds about right…I confronted my sister on her study of the darker side of magic. I told her that what she had done was wrecking the patriotism of her people. And it was true. Many of the capital's original inhabitants had packed up and left the city to its ruined halls and crumbling fortress.

"This angered her. She was getting seemingly more and more senile as time went on. She told me that we were all traitors in this land anyway, what good would it do to start caring about any one of them now? They would just turn their backs on her if she commanded them.

"She ended up…_banishing_ me to this land. Although it may seem like a paradise, it wasn't always so. Back then, the people were still fighting the monsters that lurked in the shady parts of town. But now…I'm kind of glad I was banished. I was also…_expelled_ from the house, had my royal title torn away from me, and was never allowed to return to the land of my birth, on the pain of death. So now, I didn't even know what Jakob had been going through this past decade. _That_ was the reason I was acting so odd when I saw him. And you. Like I said, you two make a cute couple," At this, she giggled her trademark laugh, albeit, I was beginning to find slightly annoying, and stood up. "Why, hello you guys. It took you long enough. I was just telling young Katie over here my entire history. Hohoho!" My friends had come to my rescue.

I buried my face in my hands and growled again.

"You realize that growling and talking to yourself is a sign of insanity, right?" Sarah asked me, kicking my chair so that I jumped and yelped.

"Shut up and bring on the grub!" I yelled, throwing my hands in the air.

"Yes, dearie, I understand your hunger. You all look _famished_ by the way. You'll have to tell me about your adventures when you get the chance." She called out for her assistant. "Justine! _Justine!_"

But she didn't answer.

"Hm. That's odd. She's always been such a _dutiful_ girl!" Aunt Margaret exclaimed, making her hands twitter in the air like butterflies. She giggled herself into a frenzy and bustled off to the kitchen, her giggles reaching our ears even when the thick wooden door separating the two rooms was closed.

"Is she…insane?" Amy asked carefully, unsure of whether or not she might offend the prince by saying so.

"No. She's just…crazy. Utterly, absolutely, definitely bonkers!" Jakob exclaimed suddenly, covering his eyes with his hands. When he uncovered them it was to the weird expressions we were all giving him at his-erm…_excessive_ vocabulary.

"Now you know what it's like to be me…!" I snapped irritably at him from across the table; a rather inconvenient spot for the both of us. He kept on trying to catch my eye, but I would avoid him.

And Amy, of course, being the bearer of bad news, asked everyone in a chipper voice, "Did anyone hear those screams earlier? I thought I was going to claw my skin right off!" And then she shivered as if remembering my screams brought back painful memories of death and hell.

Immediately, I felt my face flush simultaneously with Jakob's and we both jumped up.

"Umm…I need to use the bathroom!" I squeaked annoyingly, banging my knee painfully against the corner of the table.

"And-I-uhhhhh….need some air! With Katie!"

"SAY, WHAT?!"

I struggled vainly to escape Jakob's grip, but he held me firmly by my bicep. I squirmed and even bit his hand. He dropped me, but when I grabbed onto the table leg to try and escape, he grabbed me by the waist and threw me over his shoulder, then stalked out the front door.

"LET ME GO, YOU FREAKING CRADLE ROBBER!!"

The rest of the caravan stared disbelievingly at the closed doorway that was allowing a slight drizzle to come in through it with wide, shocked eyes, their mouths hanging open.

"Was it something I said?" Amy asked the room in general. It would be a while before anyone replied to her. They were too distracted by the delicious smells wafting from the closed kitchen door and my angry yells coming from the one opposite it.

**RAC: **Don't you like how I work the title into the story? - It's my fave parts when I can. I love it, so much! 3 C'mon! Review some too, people!


	34. Hot Enough to Make me Drunk

**Hanna:** Doesn't he look much better? 

**Others:** Yup!

**Nich: **_Is tiny figure of himself the size of a chipmunk. _

**Momo:** He's so cute! _Picks Nich up_

**Hanna: **I give you life! _Brings Katie to life_

**Katie:** That moron killed me! _Points at Nich_

**Momo:** Yes. But look! _Shows little Nich_

**Katie: **He's SOOO cute!_Tries to grab little Nich_

**Nich: **_Crawls into Momo's hair to hide from Katie_

"Katie, _shut up!_" Jakob snarled, clapping a hand over my mouth in anger.

I looked up at him. Now, I might not have told you this, but I hate it when people don't like me. I'm the type of girl who will do practically anything to make anyone happy, and when I go to the ends of the earth for someone, and they're _still_ pissed off at me, it doesn't put me in a very happy mood either. I ripped my arm out of the prince's grip, stumbled and slammed against the side of the building.

"Owch!" I let out a tiny yelp, and knocked dead Jake's sudden plea to get a bandage.

"Don't bother. I don't want you seeing any more of my anatomy than you already have. You've ashamed me. Stole my _chastity_! You're no better than a low-down _dog._" I snarled. I slumped down against the wall, feeling the shirt get stained with wood chips, but I'd be damned if I cared. It was just that weird servant girl's anyway. And she was nowhere to be seen. Angry tears slid down my cheeks.

Jakob kneeled in front of me, an impatient tinge to his eyes. He flipped his wet black hair away from his face and stood over me, covering my shivering body from the hail of rain.

"Katie. I wanted you to get out here so that I could apologize. I never meant to steal your…_chastity_…which I find a highly inappropriate word for the moment in question. Indeed, I was thinking of telling you that _you_ were going to steal _my _chastity!"

I grimaced. So he'd been awake when I was so tempted to kiss him. I mumbled something incoherent under my breath and pulled my hair over my shoulder.

"What was that?" Jakob asked, leaning in so he was in better hearing range.

"I _said_…who could blame me?"

He was shocked. I could tell. The way his eyes widened ever so slightly and his muscles tensed on either side of me betrayed his cool demeanor and the slick grin that was spreading across his handsome features.

"I mean. Not to blow up your ego or anything, but you _are _rather cute. Any girl in my place would have done the same thing…," I mumbled.

_'Oh GOD. I can't believe you, Katie! What are you doing?! Are you making a heart-pounding love confession or just trying to toy with his heart? Dammit, make up your mind!'_

Although my mind was saying just this, I kept going, sliding under Jake's arms and slipping a little in the mud. I stood behind him now.

"Dork."

"Katie…I am four years your senior, and yet day by day I find myself unable to do the things I wish. I am a man by law, and should have been settled down with the woman of my choice several years ago. But now…I am glad that I did not. For that gives me the opportunity to do this," Jakob said in a soft, husky voice.

"Huh? You say something?" It was getting kind of hard to hear much of anything. The rain was picking up, pounding out a beat on the brick walk. All around us the glow of lamps flitted in the windows of late-night wanderers like wayward fireflies.

"Katie…kiss me…!" Jakob's voice was deep and guttural. A voice I had never heard him use before. I felt as if blood were oozing out of my pores and felt a weird feeling in my lower stomach. My breath caught in my throat as I realized what he was asking of me. I was frozen. Soon enough, Jakob was close. He was so close I could count the number of freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose, and he could taste the tears that ran down my cheeks.

Jakob licked his lips and looked down at me, frozen; eyes shut, lips slightly parted, shocked into submission or waiting for him to kiss me. I felt like the luckiest girl alive.

_'Oh my GOD!!! He's going to kiss me! ME!'_

Jakob closed his eyes and leaned forward and oh, so gently, placed his lips on mine.

It was like fireworks were exploding behind my closed eyelids and pleasure rippled through my limbs that somehow wound their way around Jake's neck. His hands found my hair and wrapped themselves in it so that he was cradling my head. His lips did that tentative search on my own, testing to see if I was going to resist him, and when I did not, they pressed harder, deepening it.

It was everything I had secretly imagined a first kiss would be like: walking on air, my legs turned to jell-o, bubbles in my head, like I was walking on the moon and that wasn't all. I could probably go on forever about how I felt at the particular moment, but then you'd probably start to feel nauseous.

And then it was over.

It was all too soon in my opinion; a blur. Jakob gave me this weird look I could hardly distinguish from the flood of rain that dripped into my eyes from my bangs, before casting a shocked look over my head and disappearing inside the inn again. I followed soon after, unable to hide the little bounce that was in my step. I felt my mouth go all slack and mold itself into a grin.

I was on Cloud Nine.

I was in Paradise. 

I was _acting_ like I was drunk.

I stumbled back into the inn on air rollers, feeling like nothing was holding me down. On my ditzy way up, I stumbled on the top step and fell against the door before I managed to open it. Even then, I had this dopey grin on my face and my muscles were all slack, so I scrabbled with the knob for a second before I could stumble into the room.

I felt my friends' eyes trained on my odd behavior and saw them shoot Jakob weird looks. He expertly avoided them and me in my entire drunken splendor, and looked back as the kitchen door was swung open.

Aunt Margaret came in; her arms laden with trays full of steaming food. And it was normal. Meat; cooked to perfection and sliced into succulent strips laid flat on a wooden plate. Bread; hot and steamy, risen into perfectly round rolls. Odd rainbow grapes; 'though they made me feel like I was on E, (a very _good_ amount of E) they looked delicious; all shining as if they'd just been washed. This was accompanied by a carrier of fish and butter, and some apples, along with a pitcher of juice and water. How she ever managed to carry all that in one load, I never managed to figure out.

As soon as all the plates, forks, knives, spoons, and cups were handed out, we literally dug in like a pack of wild dogs, snatching food out of each other's hands like we'd been starved; which we practically had.

With a mouthful of half-chewed grapes, I asked Aunt Margaret,

"Where's the best smithie?"

"Ooh! That--," Sarah piped up, swallowing a large amount of meat, "—I needed to get my shield fixed."

"And my sword was bent," Jakob put in.

"My sword point was snapped," Geoff said.

"Great. Just great." I shot everyone else a death glare, and seeing that none of them seemed to have any big problems with their own weapons, I sighed. "Ma'am? We only have a small amount of money, and I don't know how we can earn any more in the short time we have here…"

Aunt Margaret smiled her smile and gave me another roll which I tore into.

"Don't worry about it, dearie. I'm sure a smart young girl like you will be able to figure something out. Stay for a bit in any case. There's going to be a fireworks festival anyway. You'll not want to miss it!"

Hanna perked her ears at that. "I've heard of this. The fireworks made by the Yukes here are said to be amazing. We've heard about them even from all the way in River Belle Path," she commented.

This piqued my interest. I remembered that skilled Yuke Margaret had told me about…I would have to investigate.

Margaret nodded in her direction eagerly. "Yes. Please tell me you'll stay for the show…!" I saw her shoot a sidelong glance at Jakob and I knew that I couldn't say no. This woman just wanted a little more time to spend with her nephew. I couldn't deny her that.

"When is it?" I asked her.

"It's two nights from now," she replied eagerly, her eyes shining.

"Fine; we'll stay long enough for the show, and until then, I want everyone to think about ways to earn money. We head into the market as soon as I…wake-up…," I swooned under Jake's intense stare and stood up, staggering up the stairs until the people downstairs could hear a loud crash on the landing above.

"Are you _sure_ you didn't give her a drug?" Geoffrey asked suspiciously of Jakob.

That night I slept on a full stomach, a drugged mind, and Amy, snoring oh so slightly, next to me in the bed. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyes were slack. I couldn't imagine what I might do without her. I would tell her about my _first kiss. _After all, what were best friends for? I couldn't wait to gush to her about the emotions swirling around inside me…


	35. In Broad Daylight

**RAC: **Hello, everyone! I had to update tonight because I'll be gone this weekend. I'm going to my friend's baby shower. She's 17 and the baby's name - it's gonna be a boy!! - will be Gabriel. Such a lovely name. I'll use it eventually. So yah. Love you all. All 568 clicks I've gotten on my story. Who'd've thought this would be so popular? . Ciao!

**Jakob**: I am just going to go along with your kind words and not think you think I'm a sick perverted bastard, Katie…

**Katie**: What are you doing in my secret base???

**Jakob**: Don't ignore the question, brat!

**Katie**: Oh, Jake, please. No one will ever find you _normal_, much less a sick, perverted bastard. ;;

**Jakob**: Be careful you don't kill yourself laughing too much, Katie. Or I shall call you Girl Whose Idea Of A Good Time Is To Replace Letters In Sassafras.

**Katie**: Do as you see fit, Boy Who Thinks It's Fun to Cradle Rob.

**Jakob**: You may be laughing now. But who will be laughing when-

**Gaia**: Kaa-aatie:glomp: When I come in again, do you think you could give me a distinctive feature? Like a sexy scar? Or maybe a uni brow I shave off every morning? Ooh, what about a snaggletooth?!

**Katie**: I'll get back to you later on that, man.

**Gaia**: You suck at following up on your promises, Katie. Hey, do you know where I can get a hold of some munchies? Me and my snaggletooth are dieing for something sweet!

I awoke the next morning feeling bloated and fat. This was the feeling I generally got after eating _waaaaay _too much food the night before. And I knew I had eaten too much. There were traces of drink and grapes all over Justine's outfit that I'd worn to bed. I couldn't see any of my other clothes within reach, so I decided that wearing this outfit until then wouldn't disgust too many people.

I walked over to the window, careful to tiptoe, for I had learned that some of the wooden floorboards were loose and squeaky. Stepping over the thrown-away clothing, I got to the window and peered through the slits in its shutters.

The sky outside was purple, but already there were people buzzing around like little worker bees. They were getting their shops set up and the scent of foods that were to be sold were floating temptingly into my window so that I drooled. I looked around all the alleys and ditches, searching for anything interesting to watch. Then I looked down below me, and there…on the clothes lines, along with all our clothes were…MY BRAS AND PANTIES.

My jaw gaped and I tried to suppress a scream. It was hard to do so when my jaw was beyond the safety point and my eyes were bugging out of their sockets. All of a sudden, I felt as if I had to pee, and I rubbed my knees together uncomfortably in the subduing position. My fingernails were clawing out small pieces of wood and the scream?

It was beginning to come out. I felt it rising in my throat like bile and before I knew it, it had vented itself in the best way possible, as my breathing passages seemed to be clogged by a thick sludge: a muted whimper.

Without further adieu, I raced across the room, creating a series of squeaks, and flung open the door, allowing it to bang against the wall behind it, waking my room's other inhabitants. And they didn't like to be roused. As did the neighboring room, whose door opened to reveal a slightly weary duo I knew all too well. All along the corridor, doors were opening slightly to reveal pissed-off-because-some-loud-BANG-woke-me-up eyes.

"**Stay in your room!!**" I snarled at the guys as I dashed past them, intent on "not creating a scene" as best as possible. The inmates gave me several dirty glares and muttered some things in their own language before _silently _closing their own doors to return to sleep. I ran on.

I jumped down the last six steps to the first floor landing where I collided with a very wet someone who shrieked in my ear as I landed on top of her, knocking the wind out of both her, and myself.

"_Get off of me!_" Justine snapped, throwing me off her with the strength that belied her size. I felt her muscles bulge before she tossed me _over her head _and to the floor before jumping up again and gathering the things she'd been carrying into a small basket.

"Christ, Justine! What the hell was _that _about?!" I asked irritably, rubbing a bump at the base of my neck.

"The way _I _remember it, _you _jumped _me_, you heathen!" She said shrilly, pulling herself up to her full height. She eyed my angrily. Damn, these days…

"Hey…wait. Where were you last night, Justine? You're Margaret's apprentice, right? Why weren't you there to help her with the dinner?" I asked curiously, dropping my hands to my hips to stare at her accusingly.

"What I do on my own time is my own business, you ruffian!" She eyed the clothes I was wearing…The very dirty clothes. And she gaped. "_Who gave you my clothes?!_"

I looked down at myself. My hair was damp and wavy; and smelled nice too, I might add, but the dress was most likely ruined beyond repair. I cringed. "_Margaret?_" I offered up weakly, holding out my hands to her in what I hoped was a sorry gesture.

"_That woman!!_" Justine spat under her breath. And without another word, she turned and stormed away up the stairs.

"Hmph. Curious. I _do_ wonder where she could have gotten off to…," I said to myself. Then I remembered that I had more pressing matters at hand. I cast a wary glance at the stairs, and bolted outside, snatched my clothes, and ran back up the stairs to my room in no time. Olympic athletes would have been proud.

I slid, panting, against the door, and allowed myself several minutes to breathe.

'_Damn. What were these doing out there anyway?!_' I gripped them in my arms. They were damp. Self-consciously, I stuffed them under the mattress and decided to go downstairs and find Margaret to see if I could help with breakfast. Yeah, _that's_ what I wanted to talk to her about. There were absolutely no dark motives…

I picked up the edges of the dress and walked back the way I had come, glancing left and right at the doors to see if I would be able to whisper apologies to any eyes that were wayward for a dirty tomboyish girl in a floral dress. My trip was uneventful to say the least.

When I came to the first floor, I saw Auntie Margaret wiping off tables; almost ready to open up shop for another day. I walked over and said my greetings.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked chipperly.

"No dear. You go on ahead and head into town. I'm just about ready to open up shop. Besides, what you need for your journey is going to be way more important than this old lady's inn." Margaret gave me a sweet smile and snapped a towel at my legs and I loped out the opened front door into the bright sunlight. I walked amongst the clothes that blew lazily in the breeze, searching for my own. I pulled them off and draped them over my arms and ran back inside. I clumsily went up the stairs, nearly running into several of the hazy guests who were making their ways downstairs.

Apparently, I'd passed my mates on the way up, because when I opened the door, there was no one there.

I shuffled over to my bed and stripped out of Justine's soiled dress. This brought back several thoughts I had almost forgotten since meeting the strange girl. Like, what was in that bundle she was carrying last night? And the fact that she'd been missing at dinner-time? What about this morning? What was she carrying in that little basket? Also; _attitude_, much? When I'd first met her, she'd seemed like the supremely shy type of girl. But maybe I was wrong.

I shrugged off the feelings and stepped into my brown capris and white shirt before heading back downstairs.

When I got there, my friends were all sitting at a table with the Clavats we'd seen last night, happily chatting and laughing gaily which surprised me. I walked over cautiously.

"What's up, you guys?" I asked.

"Oh, you spoiled sport. Nothing's up. We're just making some nice friendly banter here. Now take a seat and have some breakfast," Sarah insisted, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me down to sit in between her and that cute blonde Clavat that we'd seen get made fun of the night before.

"Hello. What's your name, babe?" He asked me instantly, grabbing my hand as I'd balanced myself.

"Ex_cuse_ me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows so high that they disappeared beneath by flyaway bangs.

"I'm asking what your name is, honey," He insisted, still holding my hand.

I pulled them out of his, disturbed. "Erm…Who the hell are you again?" I asked, giving him my best "WTF?" look. He smiled and stood up, taking my hand in his once again. He bowed, and while bending at the waist, said:

"My name is Gaia. Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Katie. I understand you are on a mission from the capital?"

And kissed my hand. I blushed a bright, furious red and ripped my hand away from Gaia's for the second time. I gazed, shocked, at the guy's player-ism and shot Jakob – who was sitting across the table from me – a look. His face was a mask that was impossible for me to read. I looked back and Gaia was standing up again.

"M'lady. Please. Do not misinterpret my actions. I mean you no insult. I am just surprised to see that you are so beautiful!" He smiled at me, showing off his dimples that appeared in each cheek. I grimaced and snatched a whole loaf of bread from the table.

"You guys. Are you ready to go into town, yet?" I asked, ignoring Gaia who stood up to help me. I stood up on my own and fingered the change pouch that was hanging heavily in my right pocket.

"Sure! I really need my shield fixed," Sarah said, gulping down the last of her breakfast and being the first to jump up.

A pretty female Clavat with long auburn hair and eyes looked apologetically at me and got up from the table and walked around it and told me:

"I am sorry, Katie. Gaia here is a fool. He does not think about what he says before he says it. I'll take care of him," She threw out her arm and snatched Gaia's ear in her fingers. "C'mon, you perverted whelp!" she snapped, and dragged Gaia to the other end of the table. He waved at me and I turned and walked cooly out the door, turning my back on him, and not paying attention to whether or not anyone was following me.


	36. On the Run

**Jakob**: Amazing! Just look at this room service! You can get an entire sampler with buffalo wings and cheese! Cut into SQUARES! SQUARES!!!! It says there's enough here for 10 people. I'll order two. We're going to need our energy for what's coming up, right, Geoff?

**Katie**: Planned? Are you guys forming a conspiracy behind my back?

**Geoff**: It's nothing, Katie. Aren't you busy in your story? Like, shouldn't you be breathing fire in Bertrum's face or something?

**Katie**: Um...no? Now what are you guys planning?!

**Jakob**: _sigh_ I guess we have no choice..._explains_ Are you happy now?

**Katie**: I don't see how ANYONE would get it! .

**Geoff**: I still don't know what we're going to do. I could get more info from a freaking dry cleaning label the way Jake describes things.

**Jakob**: Look! They've got little pigs-in-a-blanket too! I LOVE THOSE!!!!

**Katie**: You're not going to tell me, are you? _sigh_

"_Katie!_" I heard someone call out from behind me. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and yank me around. I was face-to-face with Amy whose eyes were a whirlwind of questioning blue depths.

"You don't even know where the smithie is. You shouldn't go off wandering around by yourself!" She snapped and linked our arms, frog-marching me back into the inn. Gaia smirked at me, and I made an effort not to look him in the eye. She forced me down on a bench and bent over the table to ask the Clavats where the blacksmith was located.

"Oh. I think she'll like Johavsven's shop the best eh?" The pretty female Clavat who had rescued me earlier said to her companions.

"Oh yeah. He's so amazing. He made me…," Another male Clavat, a black-haired one, this time, reached beneath the bench and pulled out a leather sheath which he brandished with pride. His fellows sounded their sudden agreement.

"OK. It's a sword. I get that. So this guy's a blacksmith, right? Big deal. McCarthy's weapons are much better anyway," I scoffed at his blade.

He seemed offended. He unsheathed his blade and leaned quickly across the table, pressing it against my throat.

"Oh. I think she'll like Johavsven's shop the best eh?" The pretty female Clavat who had rescued me earlier said to her companions.

"Oh yeah. He's so amazing. He made me…," Another male Clavat, a black-haired one, this time, reached beneath the bench and pulled out a leather sheath which he brandished with pride. His fellows sounded their sudden agreement.

"OK. It's a sword. I get that. So this guy's a blacksmith, right? Big deal. McCarthy's weapons are much better anyway," I scoffed at his blade.

He seemed offended. He unsheathed his blade and leaned quickly across the table, pressing it against my throat.

"Do not offend that of which you know so little, _young one_." He snarled.

My friends jumped up, ready to defend me. Jakob withdrew his weapon.

"Sir, you would do well to take the blade from her throat. Unless you would wish for your own death so swift," He snapped, stepping forward menacingly. He was atleast six inches taller than the male Clavat.

"Bertrum, please. Do not offend the prince…!" The female Clavat who had rescued me from the perverted come-ons of Gaia stepped forward and grabbed Bertrum's arm.

"Lay off, Nadia! I do not need someone by the likes of _you _to defend me!"

After this little outburst, Bertrum turned and furiously stormed out the door, mumbling curses in a tongue none of which I could understand. The door was swung open so hard that it banged loudly against the opposite wall, leaving a rather awkward silence in its wake. I turned hesitantly to my fellows.

"Urm…Nadia, was it? I apologize. I'm still rather new to this whole world thing. I don't quite understand what it means to be an _honorable _person. I have only made a terrible mistake, and I must apologize before I further my mistake. Please, excuse me. I'm sorry for bringing trouble to your inn, Margaret," I bowed politely and, feeling for the money pouch in my pocket, ran out the door to apologize to Bertrum.

"Am I the only one who's noticed a change in her personality?" Amy asked after a moment or two of stunned silence.

"Hmm…," Sarah contemplated this new development and asked aloud of her group, "Was she always so…not immature? I mean, she's never had a boyfriend or anything before, right?"

Jakob coughed and cleared his throat, remembering rather _fond_ memories of him and me in the bath, and that kiss, which I still had to work out in my mind. He flushed and said he had some things to work out, then turned, grabbed his sword which he always seemed to have on him, and ran out after me.

Amy cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at the innocent Geoff who had a frown on his face, but a perplexed expression lining his eyes and cheeks.

"Did you do anything to her? See anything?" she asked, leaning in close.

Geoff snapped.

"Dammit! I don't like the cocky bitch, all right! Leave me the hell alone!! GOD!!!" He was a furious red color and left the room, going up to the guys, grabbing his sword and leaving the inn entirely in a bloody rage.

Everyone's eyes were wide.

"Uhhh…wow. Katie's sure got some wild boys after her, huh?" Hanna asked nervously, glaring at Amy and Sarah for bringing up a touchy subject. "I mean hell. Sarah's the only one outta us who've had a BF, right?" She smirked triumphantly.

Amy and Hanna blushed. Nich and Morgan glanced at each other. They'd gone out previously, and for quite a while, from what I'd been told. They got up to defend their honor. Sarah got up as well.

"Gaia, can you show me where the smithie is? I need to fix my shield," Sarah said offhandedly, leaving her remaining party to bicker as she went to get said shield.

Gaia looked hopeful at getting a chance to go after me as well. "Sure. No prob. What's your name again?" he asked.

"It's Sarah," she told him.

Margaret came out of the kitchen with her hands so topped with trays that she almost couldn't see over them. It was a miracle that she managed to get to the table without spilling anything or killing something with the cutlery that was balanced on top of more plates. She set down her monstrous stack and, without a word to anyone, but with a rather angry disposition on her face, went about dispersing the foods to the many inhabitants of the inn who had been waiting for a bit of time for breakfast.

She came to the table and sat on its edge with a huff, wiping her hands on a rag, and dabbing at her sweaty face.

"What's up, Margaret?" Hanna asked curiously, bending in to see if the elderly woman was OK.

"Nothing. It's not that bigga deal. It's just…Well that, girl—Justine—has run off again! I don't know _where _she's at, and, truthfully, it's starting to piss me off!!"

All at our table was quiet, though not as quiet as they were at Geoffrey's sudden outburst. The Clavats seemed a bit perturbed by this and got up to go. Sarah and Gaia came down at this time and seemed to feel slightly out of place.

"What happened?" Gaia asked curiously, looking at his comrades as they made to leave on that day's adventure.

"Justine's gone. She's not been here a lot recently. And I'm sorry to say, but I think it's due to the fact that you guys have shown up." Margaret gestured apologetically to the remaining caravaners a bit sheepishly at placing the blame on them.

"Ah—but I just saw her through the window. She seemed a bit…erm, _dirty_ is probably the best word. She seemed to have some form of dust or something on her front. She was wearing a cloak, though. It was as if she had something to hide. It was very odd…!" Sarah told us.

"Indeed. And did you see her enter the inn?" Margaret asked worriedly. Sarah shook her head no. "Oh, dear..!"

Without another word, she hurried out of the front rooms and into the back ones. It was very faint, but the sound of another door opening could just be heard, somewhere within the recesses of the place.

"Urm…Let's go, Gaia!" and without further ado, Sarah took Gaia's sleeve and pulled him out the door post-haste. Within the inn, the muffled sounds of a fight, both verbal and perhaps physical, were going on.

At the tables all over, the guests hurriedly dumped their money on the surface and bolted, either up to their rooms or out the door, hoping to escape Margaret's wrath, which was sure to leak out.

I, myself, was caught up in my own mess. I was stuck in a crowd of people, none of which I knew, and none of which seemed to have any common courtesy. I was getting jostled and shoved aside as if I were some sort of sack of potatoes. Their rough language frightened me, and the looks they gave me held a form of hostility. Particularly from the Selkies. I went on to presume they thought I was a Clavat. Perhaps there was some sort of racial dispute between the groups?

Suddenly, I felt warm hands grab my own and pull me to the side of the street, out of the way of the pedestrian traffic, and into the shadows. I turned around; a grin on my face, about to thank the person who'd saved me. My grin fell. It was Bertrum.

"What's that look for, huh? I saved your sorry ass, so feel free to cop up a thanks or two!" He snapped irritably.

I instantly went back into my "bitch-mode". I scrunched up my eyes and got in his face,

"Yeah? Well, who the hell asked you to save me anyway? I was just coming after you to apologize, and here you are, getting off of rescuing me, hoping I will _thank_ you?! Well, hell no! I'm not some damsel in distress, so don't save me! I can take care of myself, so just _leave me alone!_ Oh, and just so you know, McCarthy, yeah, the _royal _blacksmith, his weapons can kick Jo-have-shoes's any day of the week, so _THERE!_" I smirked triumphantly and turned my back on the angry man I left in my wake. Sure, I had absolutely no idea where the hell I was going, but I didn't want this to come back and bite me in the ass anytime soon.

"Hey! **Hey! **_Hey!!_" Bertrum's angry voice rang out behind me, filled with malice and something that I quite strongly suspected was hatred.

I moved faster. This ugly bastard was _so_ not gonna catch me.


	37. Disbelief

**Momo**: He's probably a rapist. 

**Amy**: Funny. That's exactly what I was thining.

**Katie**: Oh ha ha. Let it be known that while you two were riding on the Judgmental Express, I was eating the last of the cookies. That's right. Who is laughing now?

**Momo**: You mean the cookies that fell on the floor?

**Katie**: I hear nothing.

"I said stop! Who the hell do you think you are? You're not even from this world, so don't go on believing that you'll be accepted! By me or by anyone else!" Bertrum yelled in anger. His face was beet-red and his fists were glued to his side to stop their decent to my throat. I gulped. What the hell?

"What do you mean…How can you tell that I am not of this world? I'm alive, aren't I? I can breathe, eat, sleep, and **bleed **can't I?" I asked, whirling around, about to get myself into further confrontation with this guy.

"It is because you stand out too much. Your aura, your relationship with the Royal Family, your aura, your _essence _just screams foreign. It screams strange. It screams _unnatural. _I can smell it on you. I can tell you just don't belong. You act like an immature brat, and you are always condescending things in that annoying way of yours. You can doubt me if you wish, but I see the prince and that other man doting on you, and it just _pisses me off_! I wanted to let you know--," Here, he pulled me close to him, and wrapped his arm around my waist, bringing my ear to his lips, which brushed it ever so softly,

"You will not be able to stay here forever. You do not belong. Your very presence here is throwing the world off balance. You may very well be _the final cry of men_…"

My blood ran cold at his words. I stiffened up and thrust my hands against his chest.

"_No!_ I don't believe you! Leave me be! You **LIAR**!!" I struggled against Bertrum's grip, but he held me fast, probably intent on making me feel even more uncomfortable than normal.

That's when Bertrum was slugged hard from the left and from the right. I was shocked. I gasped and stumbled backwards, knocking into one of my rescuers. I felt hot tears prick me eyes, but forced them back. This resulted in my eyes becoming slightly blood-shot. I looked up into Jakob's angry eyes which were glaring at Bertrum who had stumbled and landed against a wall.

"What the hell did you say to her?" He asked angrily, holding me to his chest. I felt comforted and let out a shaky sigh. Geoffrey ran up and grabbed Bertrum's collar and twisted it so he could barely breathe.

"You scum! Answer hm! He's the fking prince, you bastard! _What did you say?!_" He seemed pissed. His mouth twisted into a sneer and he seemed to find some kind of satisfaction in hurting this Clavatian male. Perhaps it was something he'd picked up in the River Belle Path woods…Bertrum's face was turning blue and Geoff showed no signs of letting go.

I jumped. "Geoff! NO!!"

He seemed slightly startled at my exclamation. His grip on Bertrum loosened and the Calavat took this moment to run for it, darting in and out of the crowd which was still burbling loudly around our little secluded corner. My heart thudded in my chest and my pulse raced. I felt all the blood rush out of my head at once, and stumbled forward.

Geoff turned around, a look of indignation spreading across his handsome features. Geoff's sword swung wildly on his hip, almost knocking into me. I fell forward into his arms which were wide open, the better to gesture angrily at me. I cried into his chest and gripped the fabric of his clothes tightly in my wet fingers.

"Please…_please_…Don't kill anyone. I-I-I don't think I could s-stand it if I saw you kill…another…please…!" I sniffled pathetically. All the while, the bandit leader just stood there awkwardly. Eventually, his red flush went away and he patted my head lightly. Jakob looked on indifferently.

"Katie…What did he tell you? Was it anything…indecent?" he asked me, bending down to peer into my watery eyes.

I shook my head roughly. "It was nothing. He just…told me that I didn't belong. He said that I…was upsetting the balance of the world…"

The prince and the bandit exchanged perplexed expressions. Jakob pried me off of Geoff with a thought of, "Well. We should be getting on now. That festival _is_ tomorrow after all. We should buy the necessities before you spend all that money, eh, Kate?" He asked jokingly, ruffling my hair.

It made me feel better that neither of my friends was bringing the matter up again. I didn't like to talk about my feelings. To anyone; not even Amy. I brushed away my dried tears and snapped, "Don't mess with me!"

"Hehe. Now _that's_ the Katie I know and—well, you know what I mean," Geoff flashed me a cute smile and grabbed my hand.

"Urm…Does anyone know where the blacksmith's at?"

Sarah and Gaia had been looking around the city for the three of us for about ten minutes now, poking their heads into pubs and asking random passerby if they had seen the prince, a girl dressed in boy's clothing, and a man with a ponytail pass by. None of them had.

"Dammit. That little tramp's probably shacked up with the both of 'em!" Sarah snarled to herself, only half-joking.

"Oooh, kinky!! 3" Gaia chirped happily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Sarah whacked him hard against the side of his overly-perverted face.

"Dumbass! She is so not like that, so don't you go thinking she is! Eesh!" Sarah shivered like she was having bad thoughts and went to ask a crowd of Selkies if they'd seen us.

"? ."

"Uh…Don't speak English? Thank you anyway," Sarah hurried away, embarrassed.

"Why don't we go on ahead to the smithie anyway? I'm sure we'll probably find them on our way," Gaia said.

"Huh! That's probably the smartest thing I've ever heard you say, Gaia! Why don't you tell me something…If I am to give you our Katie…How old are you?" Sarah asked bluntly. She had sort of a bad habit of saying exactly what was on her mind, not caring if it hurt someone else. She was a straight-forward kind of girl; brutally honest and would tease the hell out of you, but she was more loyal than a thousand dogs.

The corner of Gaia's mouth twitched in annoyance. (Sarah can do this to people.)

"I'm 19. What of it?"

Sarah's mouth hung open in slight surprise. She gaped like a fish while Gaia looked at her with a grin masking his features. She gestured for him to lead the way and he did so with a graceful stride.

_'Dammit, Katie! You have it too good! Since when did you start attracting such cute older guys?!_' Sarah began thinking of what she could do to me when she found me and got lost in her daydreams while drooling. _'Fine! I make it my mission in life to find a man hotter than the ones that are tailing you! Ahaha—_,' her evil laugh trailed into the real world, gaining some stares from citizens who skirted her.

That and the fact that her slim bear legs were twitching and intimidating.

"You were checking me out, weren't you?" Gaia asked over his shoulder in a haughty voice. His hand swished in the air over his head. Sarah flinched.

"No way! You're a whole four years younger than me! I want a man older than me, taller than me, and _waaaaaaay_ more mature than someone the likes of you!" She snapped.

Wait…does this mean she likes Jakob and Geoffrey too?! (**RAC:** Me_: clutches the two to me._ MINE!!)

Gaia stopped and turned around.

"Hell! You know I'm sexy! You know you want me! You loo-oove me!" He said in a sing-song voice.

"GOD DAMMIT, YOU IMMATURE LITTLE BASTARD! GET THE HELL BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR EFFING ASS!!"

"Nyahaha! 3"

Gaia took off through the cobble streets, trailing Sarah behind him like a dog on a leash.

"Hey…Do you hear an awfully familiar evil laugh?" I asked my friends, cocking my ear to the sky at the low-but-high cackle that just managed to reach my ears.

"Yeah…and I'm afraid…," Geoff said in false-fear, heading towards it.

All of a sudden, all the people in front of us parted and we, too taken aback to get out of the way, got careened into by Gaia and Sarah. Gaia saw me from a distance and screeched.

"KAA-AATIE!!!!! 3"

And proceeded to jump into my arms. Me having the thinnest, weakest arms ever—not saying I'm not strong! (**RAC**: I really did give this guy a bloody lip yesterday ;;;) –collapsed with him on top of me. My head hit the stone and I passed out.

"O-M-G! Katie! Speak to me! Here, let me revive you with a _kiss_!" Gaia said, cradling my head in his hands.

Jakob and Geoff hit him at the same time.

"Do it and I'll kill you!" they said in unison. Gaia twirled and fell down next to me. Not passed out, just on the border between life and death. He held my hand as Sarah ran up slightly out of breath.

"Damn…him…!" She panted. She put her hands on her knees; the better to get more oxygen into her lungs. Then she dropped down next to me and lifted my head. She jabbed a pressure point in the back of my neck and I woke up instantly. (**RAC**: She really can do this. She's a black belt in karate!)

I sat there, just really dazed for a second or two, and then turned to Gaia.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!" I cried indignantly.

"Oh, have no fear, precious. I was only running from the she-devil!" Gaia explained, pointing dramatically at Sarah. I realized I was the only thing separating the two and gulped. I hoped this wouldn't come down to a fist fight.

"Forget that! C'mon, you guys! It's already 11 o'clock! We've got no time to spare with your petty arguments!" Jakob snipped irritably from above us, yanking me out from between the sparring duo and out of harm's way. I winked at him in thanks. "Gaia, lead us to this shop."

Gaia jumped up and bowed mockingly. "Yes, your _highness_…," He drawled spectacularly.

Jakob snarled. "I can have you killed for this, _Clavat_, so watch your tongue…!"

"Oh please! Katie, don't you think that fights between children are so petty?" Sarah asked me loudly enough for the others to hear. They threw her dirty looks, but she ignored them. A rather short person by nature, though not as short as Mo (Morgan), Sarah was being her usual haughty self. I smirked.

"Yupskerdoodles!" I chirped. "Now, Gaia, lead the way!" I marched up to him, linked arms, and together we ran off, singing random junk and attracting attention.


	38. The Trouble With Lilties and Servants

**Katie**: Just to clear up some misconceptions you might be having, Gaia is neither bi nor gay. . I've had my friends ask me that. Gaia's just a big flirt and attention-whore. Even though he's a guy.

**Gaia**: _pops up _

**Katie**: Why're you here? You're supposed to be in town skipping. I just put up in the last chappie you were skipping.

**Gaia**: You are too, I might add. And why do your friends think I'm gay and/or bi?

**Katie**: _I _don't think you are. And after all, I am the only person that matters. But you do have a snoring thing that I've heard can get out of hand.

**Gaia**: SHUT UP NOW.

**Katie**: A certain group of people have said it's like the Fourth of July.

**Gaia**: BE QUIET BEFORE I KILL YOU.

**Katie**: Or my dad when he snores. And I can hear him when I'm in the basement. Oh, and fyi – YOU DON'T OWN ME, I OWN YOU. Now get your blond ass back in the story.

**Gaia**: You're not my mom! And I _don't _have a "snoring thing" as you so kindly put it.

**Katie**: Is it nice on that boat-ride you're taking? On the river of DENIAL?

**Gaia**: You're lieing.

**Katie**: And _you _sleep on your back. I was thinking…if you slept on your side, like me, you wouldn't snore. AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT! You are not the only person in this disclaimer, my blond bastard, and me, being both authoress and having more power here because I have said more rule over you. That's right. Be afraid. Step away from your queen. Go on. Farther. VICTORY IS MINE!

**Gaia**: I'll get my revenge, Katie…

**Katie**: I'm so scared, Gaia!

"Justine! Where were you at?! You never came home last night! I couldn't find you anywhere! I almost sent out a search party!!" Margaret raged angrily at her young charge.

Apparently, the battle back at the inn was still in full swing. And Margaret, more known to be a calm woman, was dominating the conversation with her ranting. Justine, though clearly flustered, had an angry look on her face. It was contorted with rage each and every time she was put down.

"But, I was--,"

"DON'T—you _ever_ interrupt me! I was saying how worried I was about you! And here you are, getting spotted coming in early without even an explanation as to where you were! What's all over your clothes?! What were you _doing_?" Margaret's own round face was cherry-red as she got on Justine about her mysterious disappearance.

"If you would just let me ex--,"

"NO! Go to your room! I don't want you _leaving_ that place until I call for you! Leave tonight and I'll be forced to _punish_ you!"

"**BUT--!!**"

"NO BUTS! GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!!"

Justine, finally pushed over the edge, jumped out of the chair where she had been pushed as soon as Margaret had gotten within reach. She reached down, angrier than a cornered badger, and grabbed the back of it in a vice grip; so hard, that her knuckles turned whiter than death…

"Woman, **who do you think you are** to boss me around? HOW DARE YOU!!" In a blinded rage, she whirled and smashed the chair against Margaret's shoulder.

The older woman cried out in shock and surprise. The once-kind girl that she had found an abandoned child in the slums of Alfitaria was towering above her with hatred blazing behind her glass eyes. Margaret's breath was coming in ragged gasps. She was getting on in years she realized as she looked at her shoulder where the chair had found target. She reached up and gingerly touched it and screamed. It was bloodied and bruised, though not broken.

"It's about time you were told your place. I don't care that you found me as a baby. You mean nothing to me. **You are not my mother! **My mother left me behind to die, and I will not let you take her place in my heart!"

Now it was Margaret's turn to get yelled at, to have no voice in the argument.

"But, Just--,"

"Forget it! You don't know what it was like! Living out there, with the bandits who were horrible and did all sorts of _horrible_ things to me!"

"Oh, my! You mean they ra--,"

"DON'T TRY TO SOLICE ME! It doesn't matter now! All that matters is the now! And I'm living, but in another kind of hellhole. You don't know what it's like to be me. I have to disguise myself when I go out, because I am still living in fear of those men."

"I'm so sorr--."

"Don't bother! I don't want your pity. You try to shelter me, and I'll thank you for the free food, but you serve no other purpose in my life! Come to my room tonight to try and _save _me or _apologize _to me, DON'T! I said you are nothing to me, and I will make that a reality if you do so, so just _leave me alone!_"

With an angry huff and a raging glare, Justine stormed from the back rooms. She passed through the kitchen, and from Margaret's scared and shocked position on the floor, could hear the sounds of pots and pans being knocked from shelves and plates being thrown to the ground. From there, Justine went into a room to her right and slammed it closed and locked it so's not to be bothered by her caretaker.

huff huff Margaret sat there for several minutes; until the sound of nervous knocking came from a ways to her left.

"Come…in…!" She panted, still staring wide-eyed in front of her. She was imagining Justine standing there, above her, threatening her. _Threatening to kill her_…

"Um…Miss? Urm…We were wondering where you were at. You're normally out here by this time, and you never leave the register unguarded, and I wanted to let you know that I did so. Protected your money, I mean, and…are you all right?!"

The courteous voice from the door had made its tentative way into the deeper recesses of the inn and saw Margaret sitting on the floor, clutching her arm where it was pumping blood through her fingers. It belonged to one of her usual customers: a kind and caring Lilty by the name of Venra. He was a young one, and thus shorter than an adult Lilty, which made him almost as tall as Margaret's hips.

"Miss, miss, are you OK? Do you need some medicine? Miss, can you hear me???" Venra asked loudly, rushing to the hostess's side and kneeling down.

Margaret wasn't listening. She was still gazing into the distance with her mouth hanging open, reliving the scene in her head; the fight she'd had with Justine. And she realized something. She realized that she was afraid. Afraid for her life, because even after all these years, she still knew very little about the girl, and seeing her flared temper for the first time frightened her badly. She didn't know if Justine was capable of murder. She was afraid for her life.

Venra shook Margaret gently on her good side, attempting to shake her out of her reverie. It worked: Margaret shook her head and blinked back tears and tried calming her racing heart. She reached up and wiped sweat that had begun to trickle down her forehead. Her breath came in shortened gasps. Her eyes searched the room for the person who had rescued her from her troubled daydreams and landed on the little Lilty who was gazing up at her with a worried expression on his young face. She put on a smile. For his sake. There was no point for needless worrying.

"It was nothing, child. I merely tripped over this chair here and bruised my arm. Nothing to worry about. But if you could please fetch the doctor Yuke for me, I'd appreciate it. I hurt my shoulder a bit and I want to get it looked at. And hurry, if you may. Thank you. Tell your parents they eat for free tonight," Margaret grasped the edge of the tumbled chair to heave herself off the ground and refused the little boy's offer to help. No need to worry anyone…

Venra cast Margaret's heaving form leaning against a table heavily as she righted the chair and dashed out the door.

_'Justine…I don't know what you're capable of…I'm sorry…,'_

"Well, here it is!" Gaia exclaimed, thrusting his arms wide at the shop before him. I had to admit, it was really impressive. Compared to McCarthy's ramshackle hut, this huge place looked like the Taj Mahal (sp? .)

It stood high with three stories to it, each with its own ventilation shaft out to the side that poured out grey smoke and steam, along with the sounds of avid workers hurrying around like bumblebees. It was red brick and had broad bay windows out front, through which I could see many swords, shields, and armor lining, hanging, and laying around it. It had black shingles going up at a vastly menacing point at the place's peak. Just above a wooden door with iron lining was a big flag advertising the place: Johavsven's Smithie Shop. I grumbled to myself and thought only of McCarthy's building as I went in with Gaia. I released his arm as we entered and gazed around.

Hanging on the walls were, as labeled, the more powerful weapons, said to be able to have its owner be able to release more amounts of chi in less time, to increase his strength, and to raise his attack power. They varied greatly in their design. One called the Rune Blade was a beautiful emerald green with moving Clavatian runes moving slowly around the sharp side of the blade, bouncing off the golden hilt and winding up again, all the while giving off a mysterious aura.

A smaller, less odd sword was hanging next to it: called "The Feather Saber". It was of a strange brown-looking metal. It intrigued me; I walked over to where it lay upon metal hooks and lifted it ever so gently off the wall. It listened to my hands easily, being as light as a feather.

_'Huh. Well, that's neat,' _I thought to myself, hurriedly placing the sword back. I gazed around at the other weapons with newfound curiosity, wondering if they held the same mystical name-like properties as the Feather Saber. There was the Marr Sword, Defender, Ragnarok, and even one called Excalibur.

_'Hmm…Now where have I heard that name before…?' _As I stood in the corner pondering this question, the Lilty they called Johavsven walked in from a back room, answering Gaia's call. He was wiping his greasy hands on a dirty rag in a way that reminded me reminiscently of McCarthy; only he had a-urm…peach head. Jo-for the sake of not misspelling his name later- jumped up on a box that was behind a counter displaying little elixirs and potions in small, multi-colored bottles and bright orange feathers in satin boxes.

"Ca' I 'elp ya'?" He asked our group, looking around.

I looked at him, sizing him up and trying not to smirk at his funny accent. He had care-worn wrinkles around his eyes and a hard, thin mouth that drooped down at the edges. There were puffy bags under his eyes, but they were not blue, black, or purple, which lead me to believe that they were going to be permanent reminders of his endless days in hard labor. His hands seemed calloused, for when he reached out to shake the prince's hand, it sounded like sandpaper was grasping Jakob's. Jake tried not to let the slight pain he was feeling show through. He stood up straight and took it with pride. Gaia took it upon himself to do introductions. As it would seem, he had spent a fair amount of time here in Alfitaria, and knew the weather-beaten traveler well.

"Hello, Jo!" He said chipperly. Jo cast him a patient look. For all the characteristics Gaia seemed to possess, knowing when _not _to bug someone seemed to be the one he needed to perfect the most. I took a wild guess and thought that Gaia had come down to this shop many a time; either with his caravan or on his own.


	39. Chillin' With His Master

**Geoff**: Um, Katie? That last ending didn't mean anything. You need a cliffie. 

**Katie**: Oh, really? Then why are you BLUSHING? Did you FEEL something?

**Geoff**: I'm sorry, I cannot hear you over the pleasant tunes I am humming to block out your untoward suggestions.

**Katie**: I bet you felt this big, thick, smooth-

**Geoff**: STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!

**Katie**: -wallet.

**Amy**: Heh. Good one.

**Geoff**: Never. That is when I will speak to you again. Mark it on your calendars.

**Katie**: _hears shoveling-like sounds _Wh-what's that…?!

**Amy**: Just your dog, C.J. He's out back digging something…up…

**Geoff&Katie**: _run to window_ OH MY GOD! IT'S A BODY!!!

"You remember me, right? Well, in case you didn't recognize him, this is the _prince _of River Belle Path! You know the _capital_ of these lands, right?" It seemed that Gaia was still irked at Jakob for the earlier incident. He continued, "And these are some part of their caravan. They haven't told me where they're going, or what they're going to be doing, but I'm going to guess that it's _top secret. _For what other reason would the prince himself be sent out, y'know? Oh, look at me, rambling on.

"This little lady here is _Katie._ Ain't she just the cutest little thing you ever saw?" Gaia yanked me out of the corner and pulled me into his side. I struggled vainly against his grasp, but my efforts were futile. I was stuck there like glue, and, resigned to my fate, peered into the glass case in front of me while Gaia finished up. To my dismay, Gaia did not let me go—even after he had finished.

"Well? What'cha be needin', eh?" Jo asked us.

Sarah stepped forward and placed her shield in front of the Lilty smithie. I laid Amy's sword next to that. "My sword here was damaged by Lizardman venom, and this one, the tip's snapped. Do you think you could fix them for me?" She asked. Jo bent over the shield for a second, peering into the cracks that had worked their way almost all the way through the shield McCarthy had made a decade ago. I never noticed before, but I'm guessing that they had worsened after our battle with the Basilisk.

All of a sudden, without warning, the guy took the shield, and using his thumb and index finger on his right hand, snapped it in half clean down the middle, with a definitive _snap._ We all gasped, and then glared at the small man in front of us.

"What the **hell** do you think you're doing?!" Sarah roared angrily, snatching up the pieces of metal that had made up her shield; her only reminder of the land she had left behind, and of the protection she would need.

Johavsven seemed un perturbed by Sarah's rage, which had been known to blast back walls back in the day. He sniffed dismissively and questioned her.

"Di', by ahnee 'hance, a mahn named _Mi'Arthee_ make tha' flimsy piece o' crap?"

It was time, once again, for a group gape. Where had this Lilty met _my_ McCarthy at???

"Why, y-yes…Yes, he did, as a matter of fact. Why do you ask? I mean, if you're going to be putting him down, let me know, and I'll get ready to kick your ass!" Sarah stated.

Using my peripheral vision, I cast Sarah an odd look, and then broadened my range to the weapons which spanned the walls all around us. And, no offense or anything, but it this small thing had managed to make all these, then I _knew _he could use them, and if he could do _that _then he would probably kick _her _ass, not the other way around. No offense or anything, of course.

It was completely out of character, but when I decided to put my attention back to the Lilty smithie, I saw a smile crease his features and a warm sparkle creep into his eyes. It seemed that he was remembering something, the likes of which I knew nothing of.

"'Ahah! Tha' grea' brute! I woul' know 'is work anywhah! He was mah apprentice foh damn-neah seven yeahs, he was! I rememba' him well. Alwahs so kind, but spent a purdy penneh on useless metals, he did. I wonda' how he's fairin'…Say, do ya' think ya'd like to stay foh lunch and tell me abou' 'im?" Jo asked us all in one breath. I cocked an eyebrow at him. Somehow, I felt that these weird outbursts didn't happen very often, and just between you and me, I hoped it wasn't going to happen again any time soon. (**RAC: **Did anyone completely understand that paragraph? XD LoL. Stupid weird speech variances. ;;;)

Before Sarah—predictably enough—could deny his request, Gaia practically flew into the air in his haste to accept. I saw Johavsven's happy expression falter ever so slightly at this.

_'Damn, Gaia. What'd'ja do to the poor fool?'_ I thought to myself, too afraid to ask right now, being plastered to his side and all.

It seemed that the others weren't as excited about this as Gaia turned out to be. They threw him dirty looks from behind him, all except for Sarah who was already into another argument with the Liltian blacksmith.

"So…? How long is it going to take you to _make me a new shield_?" Sarah asked scathingly as she dumped the pieces of her old one back onto the counter.

Now Geoffrey, who had been taking in the shop's offerings like I had been, and thus had been quiet all this time, took a step forward as did Jakob. They conveniently pushed their way between me and Gaia, something for which I was thankful, and pulled out their swords which they placed on the counter.

When Johavsven stood up again, he gaped. Ha! How's it feel, Peachy?!

He reached out and grabbed the swords' hilts and brought the weapons dangerously close to his face. He couldn't see his reflection in the metal, as the case was for my own as well.

_'Dammit!' _I thought in my mind. _'I shoulda had everyone bring their swords as well. I'm willing to bet anything that all our blades are scratched. GAH!!!' _

"Be careful, Old Man. That's _carbon steel, _that one there is," Jakob told Jo hurriedly as he made to brush his hand along the blade. The Lilty threw him a scathing look. 

"O' course I know about carbohn shteel. Who do ya' think _taught_ that method to yoh smithie, eh?" Johavsven went back to examining the weapon, handling it with ease, until he came to the end of Jakob's. He cried out in anger and surprise.

"Wah'd the 'ell d'ja _do _to it?!" He yelled, thrusting an enraged finger at the prince as he looked at the broken tip. (**RAC: **I had to go back and see what happened. Ehehe… ;;;)

"Hey! Don't you talk like that to me! We just came all the way through Selapation Cave, **defeated **that Basilisk that'd been blocking that way for **centuries**! What's the big deal?! All ya gotta do is meld a new top on it, for Chrissake!"

For a second there, I thought that, judging by the gleam that was in Jo's eye, he was going to snap Jakob's weapon in half as well. Now _that _woulda scared me. But he didn't do anything. Instead, he ignored the prince's weapon, and picked up Geoff's with a deferential air of having handled swords of _much _higher caliber.

"If you must know, I was a forest bandit, and so I didn't have the tools necessary to make a _carbohn shteel _blade, like Princess Jakob here," Geoffrey said scathingly when he noticed how Johavsven was handling his weapon.

"Hey!" Jakob cried in protest.

Jo glanced up at Geoff for a split second and just observed the sheer curve that had decided to grace Geoff's sword with its presence.

"Damn. Yoh guys shur gave yoh'r weapohns a run fo' thah' moneh! But I don' see whay I couldn't be able ta' fix 'em foh' ya. How much ya' got?" He asked.

I forked over the money pouch, which Johavsven poured out on the table. He seemed a bit disturbed by the amount of gold we held in the pouch, but he counted out about fifty-nine gold Heroins and slid them into his palms which he placed in the grease-stained apron that wrapped around his tiny waist.

"Tha' should be enuff. Now, about tha' lunch…,"

"Wait!" I piped up. Everyone turned to look at me, some almost seeming like they were ready to bolt out the door.

"Um. I don't think we could do that, sir. I mean, we have several other party members back at Margaret's inn, and I think everyone should have a nice polish. I believe all our swords need it, eh? Well, um, you know about that festival that's going on around here? I think that since we're here, we should get to know the city a bit more, and uh—make sure we won't get lost. So, uh, I don't think now's the best time…," I looked down at my boots, feeling guilty about lieing to the old fellow. He seemed slightly crestfallen, but not like he was about to kill me. His aura was nothing like the one I'd felt from the queen…

"Oh a'ight. I see how ya' ahre. Yoh'r gonna dump alla 'yins materials on this ol' man, and then run off ta' some festival that's happenin' tamarrah!" He made the motion of wiping a tear from his eye. It almost made me want to take back what I'd said, until Gaia quipped,

"I'll stay here and have lunch wit'cha!" in a happy voice.

Johavsven's facial features fell. He gulped loudly and, without answering Gaia, gestured to the case that held the funky feather and elixirs.

"Uh, 'ow'd'jou like 'ta buy somma these babies, eh? Real cheap, too, mind ya'. The Phoenix Down's only 125 bronze Heroins, equal to 5 silver Heroins, and 'da 'oly Water and Faerie's Tear Elixirs are ohn sale! Two o' 'em for only 1 gold piece! C'mohn! Ya' know ya' wanna buy somtin'!"

The poor Liltian guy seemed genuinely terrified to be left alone with Gaia. Hell, I felt for him. I wouldn't wanna be left with him either! Although, my situation was a bit different than his. I bent down and stared at one of the odd orange feathers that seemed to be of some sort of importance.

"What's Phoenix Down do?" I asked quizzically, pointing at the feather.

Jo sighed in relief and told me, "Well, it's an extremely useful item tha' travelin' caravans like yoh's buy a lot, actually. What'cha gotta do ta' activate thah magica' properties is dust the feather ova' the body of a person 'dat's passed out, or kild. It brings 'da person back ta' life! Amazin' ain't it?"

I felt my jaw drop. It was practically immortality in a freaking feather! I wanted it. I wanted a lot. But I stood up and exercised some self-control.

"Three Phoenix Down, please!" I chirped. When no one behind me argued with my purchase, I assumed it was OK, so when Johavsven unlocked a box that lay behind him and pulled out three of the sparkling feathers, the dust of which was almost falling out of the boxes they lay in, I smiled widely and held them protectively to my chest.

"Katie, we best be careful on our way home. We don't know what kinda people are lurking out there. Phoenix down may be cheap, but it's hella useful, obviously," Jakob told me, squeezing my shoulder. I nodded to show him I heard. I handed over 15 silver coins, but realized I had spent a bit of the money that should have been necessary to get our weapons and shields polished and renewed. I wanted a Feather Saber or something, dang it!

"Hey, Jo?" I asked sweetly, innocently twirling a string of hair around my finger. I bounced up and down on one knee and tried to act all sweet. I almost made myself sick. On someone of my height, 5'9", it almost came across like I was going to bite his head off. I heard my companions whisper to themselves; it was most likely at my strange behavior.

"Yee-ss??" Jo answered, suspicious of my odd attitude.

"Um, I don't have a lot of money left, but I was wondering…if you knew of a way for _us_," I articulated the 'us, "to get jobs? I mean, I was lookin' around your shop, and I wanted to get a new weapon. I'm pretty sure we all would, and our shields are kinda busted. I lost this dagger I had, and all this stuff needed to get polished…Urm, I was thinking…if you don't polish this stuff, and we work…could you start a tab for us?"

The gaunt look Johavsven shot me was highly suggesting that he wouldn't do what I'd asked of him. It was weird. I thought my plan was perfect! But maybe if I cried, he'd go easy on me…

"Would'j'ou let meh mentoh ya'? I mean, ya' _aren't _gonna have lunch with this ol' man. The least ya' could do is work wit' me. I could teach'cha new moves!"

"Now, hold on man. We don't even know how much you're going to charge us for this! How're we supposed to know we won't be workin' our asses off for the next five years?!" Sarah snapped, slamming her hand on the counter.

"Yeah!" Geoff said.

"Hey, y'guys. There're sevra' good jobs 'round hea. You'd earn 'da moneh in no time!" Jo said defensively.

"Have you even noticed his prices? There's a reason he's called _the best._" Gaia put in. "They're not cheap, but he's gonna be the closest blacksmith you can find for a while. Not many other villages 'round here."

"'E speaks truh. So, whaddaya say? Ya' wanna find sohm work and I'll start'cha up a tahb?" Jo asked us. I twittered nervously. If this wasn't well spoken-over with the others, then we could end up being here a while. And we needed to be getting on with our journey!

"Why don't we talk it over with our companions, and tomorrow, over lunch, we'll discuss this. Until then, we say yes…?" I ended it like a question, just in case somebody else protested to my hasty reply. None came. Johavsven smiled.

"A'ightie then. I'll start'cha up a tahb. Tomarrah, we'll pick yohr friends and yoh out the best weapons. Teach'cha some new techniques as well, eh? Wow. I'll do sohm research to figure out how lohng yohr gonna be here, OK? Bye, then!" And without another word, the Lilty man hopped off his stool and dashed back into the room from whence he came. I stood there, flabbergasted, for a second, and allowed myself to be steered out of the room by my friends.


	40. Sneaking Out

**Geoff: **You guys! GET IN HERE!!!

_Whole cast runs into Katie's room and gather around window _

**Mackentosh: **What is it you idiot? _Hitting people on heads to get a look _

**Amy: **There's a body outside! OMFG! _He's bring it in!!!_

**Jakob: **You don't think…_turns and looks at Katie _

**Katie: **How can you accuse me of anything?! O.O _sweating bullets _

**Sarah: **Because 90 of the time it's your fault! Like in this chapter…

"Katie, you made a rather rash choice back there. Was it not you who told my aunt that we would not be staying here long?" Jakob asked me as we stepped out into the bustling city once again. I sighed heavily, remembering saying so. I hung my head and grabbed it, then growled to myself while shaking.

"AAARRGH, DAMMIT ALL!!" I cried angrily. "Why the bloody hell do I have to do this every single time?! I never think!!!"

Sarah sighed and patted my back. "Katie, I'm cool with it. I mean, I need to stay here anyway. That bastard broke my freaking shield after all. Speaking of which, where're your weapons at, boys?"

"Shit!" Jakob and Geoffrey cried out in surprise and felt their belts to see if the swords were there, and of course; they were not. They ran back to the smithie, but we went on. Screw them. If they never came back, we'd serach for them, but later. I turned to Gaia.

"What's out there, Gaia?" I asked. "Like, what kinda things should we be expecting?"

"Well, where're you headed? I know that, when you leave the city, a coupla miles beyond the border, there's going to be Miasma, though….You'll wanna watch out for that."

I pricked my ears at this new bit of information. "What's…Miasma?" I asked curiously.

Gaia settled into what sounded like it was going to be a long-winded explanation. He began into his tale using many hand gestures and variances of his voice; all the while managing to lead us along the path back to the inn.

"Well, Miasma…what it's made up of itself is a great mystery. Nobody knows quite what it's made of. I myself have only experienced the slight effects of its poison. Y'see, from what I could gather from my travels, it's sorta like a noxious vapor that can vary in its mystical properties. Like, you have to have this thing called a chalice, eh? And you have to fill up this chalice with little droplets of a blueish-green liquid called Myrrh. The more Myrrh you have, the wider range of protection you have against the miasma. So far, my caravan's got two drops of Myrrh. You need three droplets of it to fill up an entire chalice."

"And how are you expected to empty the chalice? How is it done?" I asked.

"In the far-off towns, you'll see that there're huge crystals that sparkle like the Myrrh. The people of the villages I've gone to always throw a huge party whenever we've emptied a chalice into their Crystal. These Crystals emit a protective barrier around their town, and keep out any monsters or Miasma. Every year, the Crystals have to be replenished with fresh Myrrh though. That's the down side of doing this. Although there are hundreds of Crystal Caravans traveling through the world, so we don't have to worry none about the cities we pass through."

"Huh. So, what happens if you go outside of the protective barrier let off by your Chalice?" Sarah quarried. Gaia himself seemed to be enjoying the spotlight and went on in a flourish,

"You get poisoned. Well, that's not necessarily true. Nobody truly knows what happens when a person is affected or killed by the Miasma; for it _is _deadly, let me tell you. We lost one Clavat to it already. We're on our return journey. Headed back to our home village we did, but missed a turn-off and were ambushed by monsters. We had to make a direct course for the nearest city, and Alfitaria's it. We had to leave a man behind though. He was already too far gone. From what I can remember, his health started to deplete rapidly. His face turned blue, and he lost the ability to move. His organs slowly shut down, one by one, until his lungs collapsed into themselves, and he, well, the nicest thing to say would be that his insides _imploded_. Yeah, that sounds about right…!"

The careless nature with which Gaia described the effects of Miasma terrified me. I mean, if you only have a limited circle of protection around you, then the odds of falling out, or rolling out of the boundary was extremely high. And that whole imploded thing did not sit well with me. It was just as good that I had not eaten anything more than the loaf of bread.

"Gaia…Where's a caravan supposed to get onna them things? A…Chalice, you said? And Myrrh? Where we're going, this stuff sounds like it's going to come in pretty handy. We don't wanna be without it. Although, I find it all rather odd that I've not heard of Miasma in all of my ten years of being here…," Sarah trailed off rather suspiciously, as if she doubted what Gaia was telling us. I myself found it odd that we discovered it so late in the game.

"Well, you can find 'em anywhere, really. You just gotta visit the town square. They'll give one to you. As long as you promise to come back some day and fill up their Crystal. Then they stamp your caravan with the town's symbol and you're a full-fledged caravan of that town. Simple, isn't it?" Gaia said.

"Yes. Although, I find it a bit too easy. Where can you get Myrrh?" Sarah asked.

"There's this certain type of tree that only grows in certain, very Miasmic areas. It's kinda funny really, because the only place a Myrrh Tree will grow is in a place where the Miasma levels are high. But these are extremely pure trees, and so you can spot them almost right off the bat. Like, they'll be glowing the same color as the Myrrh in your Chalice. Another thing, albeit a bit bad, is that in these Miasmic areas, big, powerful demons are sure to lurk. And you can bet all your Phoenix Down that they'll be guarding the Trees. So, in order to get at the Myrrh, you have to battle the demon. Pretty simple, really; only, as fate would have it, no matter how many times you kill a stupid guardian; a new one appears in about a year or two. It's all quite maddening, making the caravan seem almost pointless. If it weren't for the parties every year or so, I'd almost say, 'Screw it, I'm going home!' That, and the fact I'd die, too…Yeah, that's a pretty big part as to why I've not left my caravan," Gaia seemed to become thoughtful just now; all chin-tapping and muttering softly. I left him to it, and just followed his footsteps as we made our way home.

When we entered through the front gate, there was a slight commotion going on inside. Although, it seemed not to be violent, I decided to stay out of it for now. I shunted my friends through the door and lingered on the front lawn, staring at passerby and the people that trickled in and out of the inn behind me. There was fresh laundry drying on the line in front of me, and I walked by the procession and brushed my hand along the clean sheets and bedding. I inhaled deeply and sighed contentedly. I thought about the Miasma, and where the town square was located. I fingered the Phoenix Down that, until just now, I had forgotten I was holding.

That was when, from my left, there came the muffled sounds of a window breaking. I whirled around and raced to the edge of the building in time to see Justine leap out of what I presumed was her bedroom window, cradling a bloody arm and a package in her arms before she pulled a blanket out as well, wrapped all in it, and dashed off. I cocked an eyebrow. Talk about suspicious behavior. It sounded as if nobody inside the inn had heard what I'd heard and seen, so I carefully hid the healing feather in the roots of a Rainbow Grape bush and darted off after the fleeting figure of Margaret's apprentice.

I was surprised at her speed. Her meekness had betrayed all other aspects. I had assumed that she was kinda slow at first, by the sudden personality shifts and odd disappearances.

_'Huh. Maybe I'll figure out where she's been going to these past few times!' _I thought to myself, giving silent congratulations that the people of Alfitaria didn't seem to mind my hiding behind them whenever Justine turned around, and using their carts to jump into whenever her hips twisted…

I followed her for about an hour, or so I'd thought. After going through all the allies, down and up the stairs, and around the pillars, halls, twists, and turns, I was horribly and irreversibly lost. But I wasn't scared. All my energy was focused on Justine, the lawful escapee. My thoughts turned towards why she had to break her own window to leave the inn. My mind was full of possibilities.

She stopped.

The young girl was stopped in the middle of a deserted farm. All that was left were dead, twisted trees, and the occasional dead bush or flower. Right now, Justine was leaning against the twisted tree that was closest; in fact, there was a clump of trees that was grouped together in this wasteland. Behind me, the town was just getting ready for what was going to be the festival. I couldn't find anywhere to hide, so I dove behind a boulder and peered over the top, my fingers trembling with excitement.

Justine reached up to the highest branch that she could reach and tugged it. But instead of hearing a resounding _snap _of dried wood, there was only a deep, gravelly voice that seemed to come out of the ground.

"Who are yeh? What business do yeh have wit' us?"

Justine cleared her throat and stated in a clear voice, "I am Justine Clairvoint. I come with evidence and a request for a mission…,"

My eyes widened. This sounded awfully cryptic. Like it was something I wasn't supposed to know about. I was very tempted to turn and make a break for the way I had come. Until there was a mighty noise like that of sliding sand and dirt, and a trap door opened up before Justine's feet, which she stepped into and seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye. I gasped automatically. Where was this thing going? Was Justine some sort of ninja? An assassin perhaps? Was she planning on _killing _somebody???

**RAC: **Has anyone contacted my myspace page at all...? Just wondering. But hit me up for a chat about the story or whatever. 


	41. Justine's AE

**All: **_Watch hesitatingly as C.J. drags in an unidentified body _Who do you think it is...? O.O

**Katie: **_Waving hands around frantically _Don't look over here! It's nothing!

**Nich: **_Pulls up dogtags on the body and reads off _Co-Author...NUMBER 76?!

**Katie: **o.o;;; Ehehe. I can explain! It's just...I needed help from my friends...so they...inspired me...

**All: **LIAR! TELL US THE TRUTH!

**Katie: **_buried under huge dog-pile _EEP!

Without thinking, only reacting on my instincts, I leapt over the rock, rolled, and kicked my boot into the tiny space that was left between the ground and entrance. I panted heavily, my heart racing excitedly. What a feeling! Using my right hand, I lifted up the door a bit higher and got down on my hands and knees and peered into the darkness that was there. It looked to be some sort of base. 

_'What should I do?!' _I screamed in my head; I had three options: 1.) Run back into the city and scream that I'd found a secret base used by ninjas, 2.) Get back to the inn, grab my friends, and bring them here, by which time, the door most likely would have closed and I would never find it again, or 3.) Go into the abyss and figure out what was going on down there myself. All my common senses were shouting for me to go get backup, that there was some sort of danger lurking in the darkness, and that I could get myself killed if I wasn't careful.

_'Oh…**damn it all!!**' _

Once again, I wasn't thinking at all, and threw open the gate, diving head-first down the chute, getting my clothes dirty, rolling and sliding, getting myself scratched up and bloody, before the entry way slammed unnecessarily loud, and I fell, full-force, into a pit whose blackness I could not pierce. I coughed and spluttered on my knees for a while and groped through the night with my hands, and grabbed a dirt wall and pulled myself to my feet.

I stood there for a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, and finding possible escape routes and places to hide if the time called for it. Because my eyesight was shut off, my other senses sharpened and I could hear muffled footsteps from outside a door across the room. It sounded like I'd timed my entrance perfectly. One millisecond earlier and I would most likely have found myself dead.

I followed the wall to where a sliver of light was peaking out from beneath a door. I bent down and looked underneath it. What I saw made me gasp. Though the slat was small, my peripheral vision was able to gather that there was a huge room beyond the door, along with atleast _thirty other people_.

_'Oh, Oprah, help me!' _I prayed silently.

Beyond the numbers, I realized that there were members from every race gathered here, in this underground fortress. There were Clavats, and Selkies, and Yukes, and Lilties. My blood boiled when I heard a haughty Clavatian man's voice rise above the others in a commanding voice that dripped with venom.

"Shut up, all of you! You know that we have a client here. Please, Justine; a loyal customer, tell us what it is you desire…," Bertrum snarled. I craned my neck and could just make out everything below the shoulders of the people in the room. They all seemed to be leaning over some kind of table that stood in the center of the room. No chairs. That was weird…

I saw Bertrum place a dirty hand lovingly on Justine's shoulder. And saw her flinch as well. She plucked his fingers off her and spoke to the entire room in a cold voice, "I need you to fulfill for me, a need. I need you to kill a certain proprietress at the local inn…Can you do it?"

Bertrum spoke up, "You mean, that annoying woman at the inn where those outsiders are staying at, am I right, my dear?"

"Yes. You are. I want her dead. By tonight, if you are able."

"Anything for you my dear. We will prepare tonight and kill her the evening of the festival. Why don't we string her up in the central pavilion, boys?" Bertrum laughed. From around the room came answering guffaws of bloodthirsty lunatics. I shivered. I needed to get back up the tunnel and warn Margaret that she had an army of freaking ninjas after her!

I leapt up, sure in my purpose, and turned around. But the moments I had spent looking into the light crack beneath the door had taken from me, my night-vision. I blundered blindly through the darkness, groping my way through empty air, and collided with a stack of crates filled with what sounded like…

"_The alarm! Someone's here!!_" Bertrum cried. I assumed he had his comrades put out the lanterns, for when I looked behind me, there was no light spilling out from beneath the door. I panicked. I started to scream, but in my head, and stumbled about, searching desperately for a hiding spot. But I found none, and before I knew what was happening, the door was opened and heavy footfalls came before the thick hands that held my arms to my sides like a metal band.

A candle was lit and held up to my face. I scrunched up my eyes and looked away, keeping them closed.

"_You!_"

It was Justine's voice that rang out in the underground passage. It sounded shocked, but was quickly covered up, and was filled with acid in her next sentence.

"Fool! Did you follow me? Thought you could figure out my secret, eh? Well, here we are! In an underground passage. How fitting, as it will be your _grave. _You see, these folk don't take kindly to _spies_. You want me to tell you what we are?"

I hung limp in my captor's arms and did not answer her. This was all a part of her twisted mind. I would not give her the satisfaction of hearing my voice. I didn't even turn my head the least bit amount toward her.

"We are assassins, Katie. We kill. For pleasure or for payment. I myself was but a wee lass when I was granted access into their ranks. I was 11 then. My parents abandoned me. I don't know why. I was four when it happened, and spent 7 years in the Alfitarian slums just trying to stay alive. I was raped by the citizens who stalked the night, terrorizing all they met. And then, that stupid Margaret took me in, she did. Probably thought it would lessen the pain of not being able to see her, nephew, _the prince._ I hate her for that. I am not a form of medicine to be used by those of _royal blood_. She has angered me for the last time. And she's going to pay…!"

It seemed as if Justine had a little more than a screw loose in her demented mind. I looked down in her face, a fair bit below my tallness, and imagined peering into her soul through her eyes, and mentally begging her to go back on this murderous decision. She scoffed and was replaced by Bertrum. He was two inches taller than me, but I just stared daggers into his chin.

"Oho! As I had thought, you are indeed a pile of nosy little tripe. Perhaps, I should eliminate you _now_…," and here, he withdrew a knife from his belt and slid it gently along my throat, leaving tiny scratches that began to ooze droplets of blood. It felt as if he were creating some sort of sick design on it. I squinted my eyes shut and moaned in pain. I made a move to try and dash from my captor's grip, but it was distinguished with a painful twist on my wrists.

I cried out and the cutting stopped. The man holding me threw me to the ground, and I lay there, bleeding lightly from my throat, and gasping for air.

"Hahaha. You're so _pathetic_. 'Though, I don't think I'll have you killed just yet. I can always use you to bring _him_ here. He seems to be quite infatuated with you, after all. Hey, you know something, Katie?" Justine stopped down and brushed my bangs away from my face where a cold sweat had broken out. "I like Jakob. I think I'll _take _ him from you…!"

"_WHA--?!"_ I was too shocked to speak, and my throat ached. I coughed up blood, which spattered over my hands and the ground before me.

"Ick! Put her away. I have no use for her now,"

And while those strong hands pulled me up by my armpits again, my brain managed to store away the sight of Justine and Bertrum opening another door beside the tunnel entrance and leaving through it. My head lolled to one side and I lost consciousness.

The next time I woke, it seemed like several days had passed. My throat ached; the blood had dribbled onto my chest and dried there, making a little pool in my top. It was dry, though, but still stunk. I tried throwing up, but nothing came. It was throbbing painfully, and my breath came out in ragged wheezes making it hard to breathe. I attempted to get up, but found my hands were chained behind my back with heavy iron handcuffs. I sighed as best as I could, and observed my surroundings.

I was in another darkened room. Through the haze that seemed to hang over my vision like a heavy curtain, I saw a tiny candle flickering in a far-off corner. The light was small, but managed to go over all the walls. The room was incredibly diminutive; about the size of my room back home: a 10'x15' rectangle. Ivy clung to the surfaces like many green-clawed hands and the ground was soft chilly dirt. The air all around me was cold; goose bumps raged over my arms like ants, giving me the idea that I was farther underground than the passages I was in upstairs. I made an attempt to cry for help. It was horrid, speaking with my cut throat.

"Hehp meh!!"

It sent me into a coughing frenzy. The cuts reopened on my throat and began to bleed again. I prayed with all my might that someone from the city would notice my absence and come to my rescue. I closed my eyes and sent out a message using my mind while trying as hard as I could to breathe in small gasps.

**RAC: **Don't anyone take the Disclaimer as a hint that I plaigirized something. Because I didn't. I've just needed help for the last Chapter (in my Mic. Word) b/c these updates are getting too close! _Who would?!_


	42. Incriminating Evidence

**Katie**: Momo? Psst, over here?

**Momo**: Hey, Kit-Kat. What're you doing up here?

**Katie**: Trying to get your attention stealthily.

**Momo**: I love stealth!

**Katie**: Look, I'm worried about my safety. I was-

**Momo**: Shhhh. They might be listening.

**Katie**: Who?

**Momo**: THEM. Their overlords. BE STEALTHY.

**Katie**: Um, Morgan, I don't think-

**Momo**: Uh-oh, They're getting restless! We'd better get back down there before Amy goes and gives the plot away.

**Katie**: What plot? What are you talking about? I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I'M EVEN DOING!!! .

**Momo**: Nothing to see here, nice overlords. Not a thing. Tra la la. (Call me later, K.)

Back at the inn, a certain targeted woman was screaming.

Margaret stood in the entrance to Justine's door, clutching the doorknob and quaking. The kitchen entrance door was flung open and her frantic nephew ran in, sounding frantic.

"Aunt! Are you okay?!" He asked, clutching Margaret's shoulders. He looked into the room that seemed to have her captivated, and saw the broken window. He cocked an eyebrow. "What's up with that?"

Margaret's voice was filled with worry. It appeared that she didn't know about Justine's "secret life". "Justine! She's g-gone!"

"Y'mean that apprentice chick, right? Huh. Now that you mention it…Katie never came in with Sarah and Gaia…," Jakob didn't voice his worries out loud. All he did was take her back into the main room and put her back into the slot behind the counter. He ran back to his room where his friends were cooling off after a nice lunch—Gaia having rushed back to the blacksmith shop—and burst through the door like a whirlwind.

"Has anyone seen Katie?!!??!" He cried.

Nich and Geoff just looked up from their separate activities: Nich had a cracker dangling our of his mouth and was counting the knotholes in the wooden ceiling, and Geoff was braiding his hair into two braids instead of having it in a ponytail. Jakob screamed,

"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU MORONS DOING?!"

Geoff dropped his hair and it flew loose and hung in swirls over each shoulder. He blushed. Nich gave Jake a weird look and groaned, "I lost count! Dammit!"

"What's your problem, dude?" Geoff asked gruffly, pulling his hair back into its traditional ponytail. Nich wasn't paying any attention at all.

"Have you not noticed that Katie's MISSING?????" Jakob asked incredulously. "What if she was mugged for the Phoenix Down or something?!"

"Feh. I _thought_ it was a bit too quiet around here. Can never get any rest with that bundle of hyperactivity around here," Nich said casually.

"She's _gone?!_" Geoff shrieked.

"What do you think I've been trying to tell you dumbasses?!" Jake snarled. Geoff jumped up, suddenly in full-panic mode.

"When was the last time we saw her?" he asked.

"Well…before we ran back to get our swords is what I remember…"

"Let's go ask Sarah!"

The two guys dashed out the door, raced around and crashed into the girls' room with a tremendous _BANG_, startling them out of their minds. Amy and Momo fell off a bed, Hanna shrieked and bonked her head on the wall nearest the door, and Sarah flinched. She chucked a shoe in their direction. It bounced off Geoffrey's forehead and landed with a clatter to the floor.

"Katie's missing!"

"You're kidding!!" Amy screeched, jumping up in surprise.

"Do they _look _like they're kidding?!" Sarah snapped. She marched towards Jake and Geoff and looked them square in the eye. "How much time has passed since she's been missing?"

"About…3 hours…I think," Jakob replied.

"Hmm…And what was that scream we heard earlier?"

"My aunt. That Justine girl has gone missing. Smashed her window. Blood."

"Great. I'm going to take a stab at this and say Justine and Katie's disappearances are connected somehow!" Amy chirped from the floor.

"Good job, Amy. I can tell you and Katie have been friends for a very long time," Sarah drawled sarcastically. Amy stuck her tongue out at her back.

"It's been 9 and a half years, beeyatch! You're just jealous!" (**RAC: **That's true. She's my bestest friend. ) Sarah ignored her and asked the two guys, "Let's go. There is no time to waste. With Katie being as scatter-brained as she is, she might've gotten herself into some deep shit." And without another word, she retrieved her sword and shield, attached them to her body, and pushed her way out the door. The sound of her footsteps faded before the others started to scramble around for their own weapons and met her downstairs.

On their way pass the boys' room, Nich declined the demand to come.

"I still say she's lost somewhere. She'll come bak eventually," he'd said.

"He's a careless bastard that he is!" Jakob snarled angrily, cinching his sword to his belt with tense fingers. His hands felt itching for a fight.

"You were talking about Nii-kun?" Momo (Morgan) asked defensively, looking into his eyes with a slightly-pissed-off expression on her face.

"Of course! He's a great fighter! What if we need him or something?!"

"He knows her well. He's entrusting his life to us; that's how much he cares. If we…fail to find her, then we shall see his _true wrath_. So I suggest we get going."

"Sure. Whatever."

My friends, all readied for battle, armor put on and all, assembled in the main room of the inn where business seemed kind of slow. Margaret sat by the counter with her head in her hands while the occupants cast them odd glances and murmured to each other in their own languages. The usual laugh of the Clavats was absent today. They were probably staying at another inn someplace. Jakob approached his aunt and bent down on one knee to speak with her.

"Auntie Margaret? We're going to save Katie. You've noticed that she's gone missing, yes?" He asked gently.

"Yes. Of course…Who wouldn't've? She's such a lively girl. So kind…I raised her myself, after all…,"

This got startled looks from my friends. They looked at each other as if the elder woman was insane.

"No, Aunt. I'm not talking about Justine. I'm talking about Katie. The tall, brunette human girl from Beyond the Shrub? She's gone missing. We think Justine might've taken her. Can you help us in any way?"

Jake's aunt lifted her head and gazed into her nephew's face with such an expression that it almost seemed as if the loss of Justine had crushed her spirit. Her eyes were watery and cross-eyed; the result of mere hours or minutes of worried loss.

"I…only know a bit about the girl…," She whispered in a shaky voice, her hands trembling. Jakob grabbed them and held them with his own to comfort her. "I found Justine…i-in a dark all-ley all alone. She was j-just a tiny child. S-s-so young, and al-lone, so I offered to take her ho-home. She was angry. She thr-thrashed like a fish ou-out of water. She was so-so close to me after a wh-while. Talked a wh-whole lot. Told me th-that her parents ha-had abandoned he-her. That where sh-she had lived b-before, the men had r-raped her. Ver-ry mistrustful af-ter that. She onl-ly just started ac-acting like this. I think sh-she has a cr-crush on you, J-Jakob…Please, s-save her!" After this short story, she cleared her throat and seemed able to gather her composure enough so that her voice wouldn't wobble as much. "She started going out late at night. It wasn't that big of a deal at first, just, like, once a week. But that's when there was a short string of burglaries going on around here. It didn't take me long to figure out that she was involved in something really sinister. I didn't bring it up that often. I did try and talk to her about it, but it stopped. Only…it's started up again…,"

"Have you ever seen where she goes or comes from?" Jakob asked his aunt.

"I've…seen her come from the…w-west several times. Th-thatta way."

"Wait! I've seen her! Remember, Jake? Yesterday morning? We saw her come in from that direction with a package under her arms and a cape over herself!! You remember, don't'cha?!" Sarah asked frantically, jumping and looking at Jake hopefully. He returned her eagerness with a rather blank look. "You clueless bastard! I mean we should go to Justine's room and see if we can find that package! It might reveal something!!" This got vacant looks from the rest of the caravaners. "AAAAAAAAARGH!!!!! Like a _return address_ perhaps?!"

"Ooooh!" Amy seemed to be the first to realize what this meant. She turned to Margaret with gusto. "Where's Justine's room, Ma'am?" she asked.

Margaret pointed into the back room where they had found her earlier on the ground, scared out of her mind. "Third door…on the right…"

Without another word, my friends barreled into the room and started tearing it apart with their hands. They didn't know whether or not Justine planned to return and wanted to get this over with quickly. Even if Justine was a kidnapper, it still felt sort of wrong going through a girl's things.

"Huh…so she's a 34C, eh? Not bad!" Geoffrey chirped gaily. Jakob whirled on him and karate chopped his head. Geoff had been rustling through Justine's dresser. Namely, her _delicate _drawer. Geoff dropped into the stooping position and held his head, tears running down his cheeks and mumbling curses. Something caught Jake's eye in the drawer. He reached into the assortment of undergarments and began to rustle around in its depths.

"Jakie! Don't tell me you're a pervert too!" Momo groaned, slapping herself and looking mortified.

"Filthy hypocrite…!" Geoff muttered darkly from below.

"No, you fools! It's…a…_whoa_." Jake paused with his hands among the bras and panties, gaping into the drawer. Sarah came up and smacked his head from behind.

"_Now_ who's a fool? Getting all worked up over a girl's _underwear_. Honestly!" Sarah huffed and pushed him aside. Jake stumbled and fell back onto the bed, nearly crushing Hanna who was on her stomach and reaching underneath the bed. "Eh?!" The rest of the group crowded around and saw what had gotten the reaction out of the three. Geoff shoved his way up and looked into the drawer. Getting slightly side-tracked by the womanly garments, he felt his heart stop.

For there, nestled between Sarah's cupped hands, was a very long, very sharp, knife.

**RAC: **Sorry you guys! I've gotta update earlier because I'm going off to my cuz's for New Year's and I won't be able to update on Saturday if I don't today. So yeaaaah. XP


	43. Forced Against My Will

**Katie: **Disclaimer has been deleted because I'm leaving!!! _running away _ACK!! WAIT FOR MEEEE!!!!

**Everyone Else: **_just watches _

**Katie: **Could I get any more unoriginal? XP Sorry.

"Wake up, wench! I said _get up_!"

I felt a sharp pain in my side and groaned heavily before pulling my head up. I had fallen asleep with it on my shoulder, thus a crick had formed there. I whimpered as the person kicked me again.

"You hungry?"

"Uhhn?"

"Don't play dumb with me, bitch!" When he got no such answer out of me and turned and stood in the doorway. I got my first glance at him, but found it dull, for the throbbing in my ribs and my throat was blocking out all other sounds.

The man was a rather big and brutish Selkie. He had the fair complexion of the Selkies and the same beautiful, round eyes that twinkled with mystic blue stars somewhere deep within their cold depths. His long, flaxen hair was hacked off into a twisted mop atop his head which sat on a thick, muscular neck that bore many necklaces with rings and golden coins on their chains. His forearms were as thick as tree branches and bulged with power, as well as his long legs that stuck out from beneath a silver fur pair of shorts. But that was all he was wearing. His chest heaved with a great sigh, such was the breath that I could tell he was a great runner. I would not be able to out-run him, if the chance came along.

"W-water…!" I begged pitifully, looking up at him. He grinned and stepped out of the room for a moment. I got my first glance of what the area outside my cell was like. It appeared to be at the end of a long hallway, each side lined with the same, metallic doors. At the other end of the hallway was another door, only this was opened and flooded the long tunnel with pale light. Through this I caught sight of a twisting staircase and the edge of a door opened to the left. This slammed close and the guard came stumping back to me with a pitcher of water in his hand. I felt my throat constrict at the thought of moving, even to swallow something that would help the pain go away.

This man dropped into a crouching position and balanced the jug on one knee. Without warning, his hands reached out and cupped my face. He began to turn it from side to side, murmuring things under his tongue and clicking his teeth together in a nonsensical way. I gave him a weird look and he smiled suddenly.

"You're not that bad of a looker. Dunno why they're gonna kill you. Such a waste, really."

My eyes widened in surprise. I bucked and he grabbed the jug in alarm and waddled away.

"Huh. Just what I mean. Spunky. It's hot. Not like them other chicks we've had. Hey, girlie. What's your name?" The strange Selkish man stood to the side where my movements were restricted due to the cuffs that held me to the wall and wouldn't let me turn more than my head. I glared at the man and refused to answer him. I huffed my displeasure and focused on the light at the end of the tunnel, a rather unsettling thought. The Selkie grabbed my head and turned it toward him. I cried out as my neck snapped painfully.

"Heh. I asked you a question, wench. You're different from the others. What makes you so special? What's your name?" He asked more steadily. I grimaced and gathered up my courage. I spat in his eyes.

This guy just sat there. His eyes opened and closed in rapid succession as they batted to keep the spit out of his eyes. His mouth twisted into a sick smile, but not _that_ kinda smirk. More like, the disgusted smile of a parent who has to put up with a petulant child, which, I realized, was exactly what I had been acting like. I frowned, my lower lip jutting out in a comical way.

"Heh. I see how you are. I like ya, chickie. My name's Castille and I'm here to help you break out."

"Y-you don't think that sh-she was going to ki-kill my aunt, do you…?" Jakob asked the room at large. It was deathly silent. Nobody moved, except for Sarah who lifted the knife out of the drawer to examine it better.

"There's something outside the window…," she whispered. Immediately, everyone rushed to the wall where the shattered glass lay and pushed themselves against it. Sarah peered out and looked stunned. She gazed downward into the bushes below the window and saw a familiar sparkle. She quickly reached behind her and pulled Jake and Geoff forward, the collars of their shirts crumpled in her fists.

"Is this…_familiar_ in any way at all…?" she asked vaguely. The others didn't understand what Sarah was talking about, but that was because they weren't there when I'd bought it.

"The… Phoenix Down!" The two guys gasped in unison. As one, they dove out of the window, scraping themselves among the sprinkles of broken glass that dotted the ground still, and groped inside the oddly glowing bush and pulled out the boxes of Phoenix Down with care.

"Y-you don't think she really was…," Jakob stuttered, his hands shaking as he placed the boxes onto the window sill where they were quickly swiped away by Sarah who rushed to hide them. While she was gone, the silence settled even more deeply onto my friends. This was broken by Gaia who decided, perfectly, to come back at that moment.

"Aiyaa! What've you guys done to the inn?!" He cried, rushing over and looking at the broken glass. He cocked an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips in a way that would only look good on Nich. He must've learned some things from him.

"We didn't break it…," Jake whispered.

"Don't tell me you haven't _noticed_." Hanna said accusingly. "I thought you liked Katie…and yet…"

Gaia's eyes widened in a shocked realization. His hands flew to his mouth and he gasped in a genuine fashion. "Who took her?!"

"Justine. Can't you tell? The window's broken, and both of 'em are missing," Momo explained.

"Plus…," Jakob hauled himself back into the room and retrieved the knife which he showed to Gaia with the brutal comment, "we found this. Now, I wonder what she plans on doing?"

"No way! Please!!! Tell me you guys've found a lead! Anything! Anything at all!" Gaia sounded rather helpless; quite unlike the pompous, flirty bastard everyone had grown accustomed to in the past few days.

"Do you know anything about what lays in the deserts to the west?" Sarah asked, suddenly entering the conversation. "Or whether or not there's something out there? Because that's where Justine came from that day me and Jake saw her come back to the inn. She had a cloak on and was dirty. I think it was sand. Is there some sort of house out there?"

Gaia looked at her curiously. Perhaps he envied Sarah's ability to stay calm in an extremely panicky situation. I know I would. He raised his voice and replied, "There have been a few break-ins around here recently. And always at the scene of the crime, there's _sand_. As far as there being something out there, I don't know…"

"Huh. Helpful…not. We need to get out there and comb that desert for any sign of her. We need to let her know that we have not given up on her. We need to give her hope. C'mon. We can waste no more time." And without another sound, she leapt out the window and began jogging away towards the desert which flanked Alfitaria to the west. It was a few seconds before the others followed her. It was odd for them, seeing Sarah become leader. I just hoped that they wouldn't take back their thought of making me leader. 'Though I know I wasn't a very good one. I couldn't even get myself out of this bad situation…

The Selkie called Castille was serious. I could tell. He was gazing at me with a look that I had never seen on any other face than those of Jake and Geoff. It was odd. I still didn't fully trust him, but I was too weak on my own. I would require the services of this man.

"My name's Katie. I need your help, but I do not trust you. Keep to yourself. You are my only hope to stay alive as of right now." It all came out in a rush. I still kept my glare up, along with my guard. I didn't know whether or not he would betray me or kill me. I put on my brave face.

"Heh. 'Bout time, Katie. So, listen. I've talked to Justine, and she said she wants you to see Margaret get killed. Said she wants you…_to do it_."

I was horrified. Justine was truly a head-case if she thought I was going to kill such a nice woman. It fueled my hatred of her and made a fierce growl rise from my throat which tore at the scratches on my throat. I wondered vaguely if they would scar. I looked at Castille again and asked for the water.

"Oh! That's right! Here ya' go," and he held my chin as the water dribbled slowly into my mouth. I took several mouthfuls before shaking my head for him to stop. He set the jug next to me and sighed loudly again.

"All right. So…she said that she plans to make her move tomorrow. To take the hostess while the festivities are going on. Make it look as if she decided to go back to the capital or some such tale. She will bring her here and make you kill her. But you musn't. You will be playing straight into her hands. So, you must stay strong until I can figure out the weak point in her plot."

"My name's Katie. I need your help, but I do not trust you. Keep to yourself. You are my only hope to stay alive as of right now." It all came out in a rush. I still kept my glare up, along with my guard. I didn't know whether or not he would betray me or kill me. I put on my brave face.

"Heh. 'Bout time, Katie. So, listen. I've talked to Justine, and she said she wants you to see Margaret get killed. Said she wants you…_to do it_."

I was horrified. Justine was truly a head-case if she thought I was going to kill such a nice woman. It fueled my hatred of her and made a fierce growl rise from my throat which tore at the scratches on my throat. I wondered vaguely if they would scar. I looked at Castille again and asked for the water.

My hands were shaking.


	44. Connection

**Host**: Heyas, peeps! And welcome to my newest excuse for a disclaimer that has absolutely nothing to do with disclaiming anything! This is the _Echoes of Valar Dare Show! _For those of you who are less mentally-adept it means we're going to play T or D with the characters of EoVWatFCoM!

**Audience** **Member**: _waving hand _I need to ask you something!

**Host**: Go ahead!

**Audience** **Member**: Who're you?

**Host**: Oh yeah! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm IY Geek Gal, but since that's my authoress name everyone can just call me Master of the Squirrels Cool Angel-Type Person Thing the Ninety-Seventh.

**Audience** **Member**: WTF?!

**Host**: Fine! Just call me Katie or Kit-Kat you idiot!

**Audience** M**ember**:Hey! I am a well-respected writer on 

**Katie**: Then I suggest you sit down and shut the hell up before I get Nich in here and blow the place up with the apparently cursed Meteor Blast. x.X

**Audience** **Member**: I'll shut up now. o.o

"Oh! That's right! Here ya' go," and he held my chin as the water dribbled slowly into my mouth. I took several mouthfuls before shaking my head for him to stop. He set the jug next to me and sighed loudly again.

"All right. So…she said that she plans to make her move tomorrow. To take the hostess while the festivities are going on. Make it look as if she decided to go back to the capital or some such tale. She will bring her here and make you kill her. But you musn't. You will be playing straight into her hands. So, you must stay strong until I can figure out the weak point in her plot."

"Shouldn't be too hard. She's as dumb as a brick!" I spat angrily. This elicited a small chuckle from Castille.

"You are a good child. A smart one. But a foolish one as well. If you had been able to gather any sort of information, you would have realized that Justine was up to something and reported it. When you saw the meeting in the back room, you should have _run_. Hell, you shoulda run as soon as you saw her disappear beneath the desert earth!"

"Hey! Shut up! Leave me the hell alone, you bastard!" I snarled. I grunted and looked into a far corner.

"Haha. Listen. Do you have any friends that may try to come and rescue you?"

"Yes. I have the best friends a girl could ask for. They will save me. I have no doubt."

"Send them a message."

"Oh! And how do you expect me to do that?!"

"Use your chi. Your pink chi." He said.

OK. So somehow, this Selkie was able to sense when a person used chi. He would be a worthy opponent in battle. He laughed softly and whispered, "Think. Send a message to one with whom you have a strong connection. Do it fast! _Do it now_!" Then he reared back his leg and kicked my side. I started hacking and went limp, drool sliding down my lip.

"You traitorous _ass_!!!" I shrieked. He kicked me again, only this time, as I glared daggers into his chest, I saw his fingers make the tiniest of the 'zip-it' motion. I shut my mouth and settled for sitting there and heaving through my nose. _'What's he doing?' _

Justine walked into my line of vision, along with Bertrum. I showed no sign of shock. I knew it would happen eventually. They would come, interrogate, threat, or torture. One of the three, but I was up to the task of not betraying a single one.

"You may go now, Castille," Justine said coldly, brushing her hands across the chest of the guard. Castille bowed and left the room without a word. He was leaving me to these people. I couldn't believe him! He betrayed his own, and then me, what was I hoping to get out of him, anyway?

Justine and Bertrum settled into the dirt in front of me with their legs crossed and their arms propped up on their knees. It seemed as if they would be here for a while.

"Katie…Katie, Katie, Katie…what'm I gonna do with you?" Justine tutted. She shook one index finger at me and giggled like a child. I resisted the urge to scream in her stupid face; that I knew it all, her plan, her past, and her future—that she was going to lose. "Oh, I know! Bertrum, you seem to harbor some liking for the child. Why don't you do the honors and tell her what her special chore is?" And she smiled. A twisted smile.

"Why, yes, m'dear. I would love to. Katie?" He asked me. My lips were closed tightly. "You are familiar with the hostess who goes by the name of Margaret, are you not? Well, my sweet Justine here harbors a certain…_hatred_ you could say, of this Clavat. She despises her. And so…she wants her dead. And guess who gets to help her? That's right. You."

I was disgusted. Justine and Bertrum deserved one another. They had so much in common; they were both despicable, traitorous, ugly, and cruel.

"Haha! You're such fools. Do you really think I plan on helping you at _all_?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"Alas, but that is where you have no choice. Y'see, we dapple in the kind of magic that is frowned upon by the outside world. This new magic of ours bestows upon us the ability to…_manipulate _any person that we want. We can move their bodies using our minds, even if the person wishes not to. Thy have no choice. Observe." Bertrum began to mutter some dark magic words under his breath with his fingertips lodged in his thick, greasy hair. After a bit, I began to notice my body going numb. It felt as if all my limbs were going to sleep; which meant that I could not move them.

"What the bloody hell is this?!" I cried indignantly, making vain attempts to thrash around. Justine looked at me with contempt and an evil smirk planted on her face. Pretty soon I could do nothing but breathe and blink. I tried to glare at Bertrum, but I didn't have the strength even to form the necessary expression. Suddenly, I heard Bertrum's voice, loud and clear, in my mind and my vision turned foggy.

_Do you see now what we are capable of, Human? _

_'Hmph! I am not doing your will, Bastard!' _I snarled angrily at his disembodied voice.

_Ahaha. But we are not done yet… _

"Justine! Give me the key!" He barked suddenly out loud. Justine jumped and rustled in the folds of her skirt for her pocket. Out came a small brass key that was inserted into the locks that held me to the wall. Unable to control myself, I fell over limply onto the cold dirt ground with a thud. I felt embarrassed and helpless and useless all at once. Once more, I found myself trying to send a message to my friends by chi. I couldn't tell if anything was working because I couldn't _feel _anything.

_'Oh, Oprah! Please….have mercy on my soul…!!' _

_Now, kiss me! _

If I had the power to move any part of myself willingly, I most likely would have slapped Bertrum so hard across the face that he slammed against the wall and went unconscious, but as such, my torso got up and my arms reached out for him. My arms snaked around his neck and pulled him close to me. I felt hot tears begin to swell up behind my eyes and run down my face. Through this shining silver barrier, Bertrum's face came closer and closer, until our lips almost touched. I felt his hot, stinking breath inside my mouth, but our lips never touched.

_Now do you see my power? _

And the mental connection was broken. I fell down again, limp as a noodle, to be tied up again and left by myself as he and Justine took their leave.

"Have you found anything?" Sarah asked the group as they gathered by a large boulder to discuss possibilities.

"No. No sign of a struggle or anything. I can't seem to figure out where she's gone," Hanna replied.

"I can't believe we lost her!" Geoff snarled angrily, grinding his left hand in his right. He wiped an angry sweat off his face and sent the droplets scattering onto the searing desert sand.

"What if…what if we never find her?" Momo asked sadly, plopping down.

"I can't believe you guys are saying this! Of course we're going to find her! We just have to keep looking! Not give up hope!" Jake cried, ruffling his messy black hair in frustration.

As they argued amongst themselves, Castille came back in with some herbs and water to help me…

"Why did you kick me!?" I asked madly, kicking at him as he sat down to talk. He bowed his head in apology and sighed heavily. I huffed and asked again.

"It was because they were coming. I did not wish for them to get the wrong idea. I didn't want them to hurt you," Castille explained. I scoffed slightly as his pathetic excuse and begged him to please, come up with another lame one. "But that is just it! You don't have any idea! You see what they are capable of. You must let me teach you the ability to send messages with your chi! Please! Your life and the life of Queen Margaret hang in the balance!"

I turned my head and glanced at him through half-opened lids. Observing him as if he were a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe, I gazed into his eyes to try and get a better picture of what his heart may be hiding. What I saw there was only the painful need to be accepted and trusted. I knew that this Selkie had a troubled history; one that would make for good listening if ever I gave him the chance.

"All right. Teach me. Fast. I have no time to waste. If my friends are hurt because of you or me, I will forgive neither. Now hurry!" I snapped. The lines that creased Castille's forehead vanished and he let out a short breath of relief. In the blink of an eye, he launched into the steps of teaching me his move. I listened intently.

It appeared to take great amounts of concentration and mental energy. What you first had to do, was pick a person with whom you shared a close connection with and focus on their image in your mind.

_'Well, atleast that part's easy. I'll think of Amy!' _

Then, while keeping that picture, you had to imagine getting into their mind. To break through their wards and dig up that connection you shared with them. You had to then summon up your chi while keeping a strong hold on that connection, for if a person felt this intrusion in their mind, they would no doubt try and force you out again, release a burst of chi that would fly along that line and enter their consciousness, alerting them to whatever it was you wanted them to know.

"Do you get it now?" Castille asked me after a bit of explaining this to me.

"Of course. Now leave me in peace to get a hold of my friends. You're an awfully distracting thing, aren't you?" I asked. I gestured with my toe toward the door. The Selkish man cocked an eyebrow at me, but took his leave and closed the door behind him, locking me in my cell and allowing the tiny candle in the corner to be my only source of light.

_'C'mon, Amy! It's me, Katie! I need your help. Send me a message that tells me you can hear me. I need to tell you so much! There's a life at stake here, Amy! Oh, please, I beg of you, save me!' _

**RAC: **I am so, so, so sorry for not updating yesterday! XD But I had to go to my dad's for the week-end and he doesn't have a computer, so yeah. And I forgot earlier in the day. But I hope you enjoyed the chappie! And why doesn't someone freaking REVIEW?! It's not that hard people. 748 clicks and only 11 reviews? Come on!


	45. On the Way

**Katie**: To get back on topic...I'm going to magically make the heroes and evil assholes of _Echoes of Valar _come together on this stage and they will..._willingly _play Truth or Dare! There's this one problem though: the truth part was deleted from the game until Nich annoyed me so much I punched his face and brought it back. So now it's Truth or Dare again, instead of just Dare. Thanks to that pansy...

**Audience Member**: Won't the characters just try to fight or something?

**Katie**: Totally! It wouldn't be Truth or Dare unless somebody got themselves killed. _nods_

**Audience**: _laughs_

**Katie**: But just so that they won't go on a bloddy rampage and try to kill _me_, we've removed their weapons.

**Cast Member**: _runs toward Katie and whispers something nervously in her ear before running off_

**Katie**: I've just been notified that one of our workers was killed in the attempt to remove their weapons, and so the characters get to keep them.

**Audience**: _cheers and claps_

Above in the surface world, Amy suddenly dropped to the sandy ground with her hands clasped to the sides of her head. It felt as if something sharp and hot were pricking the back of her mind. If she hadn't known better, she would've guessed that an old memory was being dragged up painfully from the depths of her brain.

"Amy! Amy, what's wrong?" Sarah asked intently, grasping Amy's shoulders in her hands. She looked into Amy's face, but it was screwed up in pain, and her eyes were closed. Her mouth opened to release a moan of pain.

"Something's trying to get into her mind…!" Sarah muttered softly to herself.

_'__Great. So perfect. The one kind of attack we're completely powerless against. But atleast we now know what kind of enemy we're facing. What can I do to help her?!' _

"What's up with Amy?" Momo asked worriedly, rushing over from a grove of stunted trees in the distance…

"Something's attempting to break into her mind. I don't know what it is," Sarah told her quickly.

"The…pain! Oh, God, there's someone in my mind!!!" Amy shrieked in terror. She flopped onto her side and lay there, twitching in agony. She tried to force the thing out of her mind, but it didn't work. She was screwed. The thoughts were coming into her mind unbidden, but oddly familiar.

"Is she going to die?" Jakob asked intently, flipping Amy over to look at her clearer. Amy took one shuddering breath and lay there, flat on her back, her eyes wide open. She seemed to hardly be breathing.

Gaia appeared out of nowhere, from God knew where, and pried open her eyes. They were clouded and seemed to be holding back a swirling fog.

"Someone's speaking to her!" He said, gasping.

"What? What's that mean? Someone, explain it to me!" the sharp-tongued bandit leader snapped irritably.

"It means someone's communicating with her telepathically, using their chi. I wonder…nah!" Gaia shoved the possibilities of it being me away with certainty. It seemed that they doubted me. I would've been pissed, if only I knew what they were thinking, and not Amy, with whom I had fully established a line.

_Amy! Amy, can you hear me? It's Katie! _

_'Oh, Katie! I can't believe it! So, you're alive? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?' _

_Just scarred on my neck. Remember that Clavat, Bertrum? Well, turns out he's an effing assassin! Can you believe it?! _

_'No! But Katie! First things first; where the bloody hell are you?!' _

_I don't know. I'm somewhere out below the desert floor. I can tell you where to get in, but not how to get to me. Y'see…I was unconscious for my little surae down here. There are a lot of bad people here, Amy. Do you think you can handle it? Who all's with you? _

_'Just tell us. We'll save you, I promise. I won't give up on you. Not until I lie dead, Katie, I swear it. Where's the entrance to this underground bunker or whatever? We'll deal with Bertrum later. Who's he trying to assassinate? We have all our friends 'cept for Nich.' _

_There should be a stunted tree group somewhere. A few dead bushes around it. Otherwise, no plant life. Pull on the highest branch you can get and a door should open. It'll show you a slide that dives into dark depths. This takes you to a storehouse of things. There should be a door in front of you. That is the meeting room. More than likely, that's where most of the people will be. They're planning to assassinate Margaret, Amy! They're going to use some Dark Magic to make me do it! Oh, Amy! I can't help you any more than that, but be careful. I'll try and get a hold of you after a while, to help you. Oh, and if you come face-to-face with a tall, shirtless Selkie with lots of neck jewlery, that's Castille. He might be able to help you. He's helped me. I hope to see you soon, Amy. Now, I have to go. It's taking up all my energy to keep this thing going…! _

_'But, Katie! Oh…whatever! You stupid bitch! If you die on me, I swear, I'll--!!!!!' _

But the line was broken. Amy took great gulps of air that seemed to whisk away the clouds that had settled behind her eyes. They returned to their usual brightness but darkened to a stormy gray while she relayed all that I had told her to the rest of the caravaners.

_'Phew. Amy, I wish you the best of luck, my friend.' _My breaths were coming in wheezes again, and it felt as if I were developing the biggest migraine of my life. But the throbbing in the back of my mind was nothing compared to the savage racing of my heart as it sent blood pulsating through my veins at triple the normal speed. I swooned and struggled to hold onto consciousness. For my friends' sakes. I couldn't give up on them. I vowed to get a hold of that connection again, however weak my body had become.

The door in front of me opened and for a second, I was overjoyed. I believed it to be Castille. My lips parted in greeting snapped together when I saw Justine and Bertrum step again into my humble chamber.

"WTF do you bastards want now?" I asked.

"We've come to relay a message. You are, undoubtedly I am sure, that your friends are somewhere in the desert's vicinity above us, and are going to be attempting a break-in any time now." Justine said simply. She tossed her long hair over her shoulder as if there were a twig lodged somewhere in its depths. In my throat, I could feel a lump beginning to form.

_'How can she have known?!' _I thought worriedly. My eyes darted from one side of the room to the other and my pulse sky-rocketed in a second, sending my mind into an apprehensive frenzy.

"Oho! So it is true then. Perhaps we should leave a little _present_…for them, in their wake. What do you think, my dear?" Bertrum asked Justine silkily, stepping forward and tracing the blood lines on my neck. I shivered. I wondered if he was going to leave a blood trail…

"Don't you touch my friends, you filth!" I spat.

"Hmph. How disgusting. Let us wait and see what they can do. After all, they will never be able to find the south dungeon anyway!" Justine scoffed. This triggered something in my mind.

_'__Perhaps, I can tell them where I'm at!' _

"Let us leave her here, Bertrum. We go to send out our men to attack. If we destroy these meddlers, than we won't have our secret leaking out!" And as she turned deftly on me, I knew she would do anything and everything in her power to destroy us. My eyes wide with horror, I tried to open, once again, the painful connection I had with Amy.

"So this is where she told us to be, you think?" Hanna asked sarcastically, standing above the entrance to the chamber and plopping against one of the trees. After several minutes of going around to all the nearby twisted trees and pulling on their branches, to no avail, Hanna had a reason to be fed up. She growled and reached up high, yanking on a branch. With a _crack _it bent and the chamber door began to open beneath Momo's feet. She yelped and jumped backwards, landing on her butt in a very undignified way.

"Woooaaahh….!!!" Geoffrey whispered as the door lifted up to reveal a three-foot hole in the desert floor. The sand grains trickled into the fissure, and disappeared into the darkness.

"Who wants to go first?" Sarah asked seriously. She peered into the depths and was calculating the distance that might be 'til they came to the storage room Amy had said Katie had said it would go.

"Rrgh!" Amy groaned loudly and once more collapsed as if she were dead. The color drained from her eyes as her mind wondered into the abyss of her brain. The fogs trailed in and filled up the emptiness with their swirling thickness.

"She's getting a message!" Gaia exclaimed rather unnecessarily. Everyone crowded around Amy as I broke into her mind and forced my thoughts into her.

_Amy! Are you OK? Can you hear me?! Are they there yet? _

_'Yes, Katie. We're fine. WTF's wrong now? We've found the passage. Do you know where you are, yet?' _

_I'm in the south dungeon, Amy, but that's not what matters anymore. What does is that Justine and Bertrum are sending sentinels after you! And lots of 'em! _

_'__WHAT?! Katie!' _

_I know, I know. I don't think you can defeat them all on your own. Please, Amy, leave for now, and come back later. Get out of here! I don't want you hurt!!! _

_'Hmph. Now…that's not the way for a friend to act. You will never be left alone while I'm alive, Katie. I will always be by your side, so don't fret. Just stay calm and we'll figure out a way to defeat these jerks. And save you.' _

_But Amy--! _

Amy thrust me out of her mind, sending me hurtling along the chi-encrusted line back into my own head where the sudden movement felt like a train slamming into my head. I swooned and fell over, banging my head against the relentlessly hard dirt. Nonetheless, I was glad for the release, and took it, diving into the depths of unconsciousness.

"What'd you see?" Momo demanded the second Amy awoke from her trance-like state.

"Katie told me…that Justine and Bertrum are sending reinforcements after us. I don't know how, but they know we're here. She said that they were planning on sending a lot of people after us, and told us to get out of here."

"That little idiot! How could she even begin to think that we would abandon her?!" Jakob snarled angrily.

Sarah shook her head. "Well, we'd better get going. We need to find this mysterious Castille person. We need to see how far we can delve into the enemy's fortress before we are discovered. If we are found out here, there could be trouble."

"True. C'mon!" Gaia cried. He whirled around and took the first dive into the darkness of the shaft, sliding along the smooth dirt path with his arms covering his face.

"Hmph. That ass think he's gonna be the hero?! He'd better think again!" And soon after, Geoff took the plunge, heedless to Sarah's angry outburst.

"He never thinks about anything, does he?! That hotheaded--!!" Jake was the third to disappear.

"Am I the only one who's noticed--?" Amy asked the remaining members of the caravan. The other nodded their silent agreement and entered the slide feet-first, one after another, intent on rescuing me from my captivity.


	46. Into the Lion's Den

**Katie**: _calls for silence_ Quiet down now, folks. We're gonna get to the point of this show and introduce you to the main cast! Here're your heroes: Katie, Amy, Hanna, Nich, Momo, Sarah, Geoff, Gaia, Jakob, and Mackentosh. Even though she's dead. _sweatdrop_

**Audience: **_woops and yells as the heroes walk out onto the set_

**Katie: **They're all in the palace of River Belle Path right now because that's just the best location. And the queen hates dirtiness, even though it may not seem like it. _Refer back to the description of the palace. _Now let's bring out the villains!

**Audience**: Boo!!

**Katie**: Shut up! The villains are totally fun! And here they are: Justine and Bertrum!

_The audience nervously claps as the camera angle swivels to show the evil characters smirking. _

Holding their arms to their chests, the girls raced along the tunnel in lightning speed, rocketing underground until gloom surrounded them like a blanket and the temperature began to drop. Then came the exit. The bad thing about going into the tunnel back-to-back; there was bound to be a collision at the end, and there was. A huge pile of bodies was at the outlet of the burrow, and Amy, being the last person, landed on top, sending shivers through Gaia who was on bottom.

"WILL YOU GET THE HELL OFFA ME?!" He bellowed without thinking. He quickly covered his mouth when he realized what he'd done. Sarah crawled out and stomped on the back of his head in anger.

"What the hell have you done?!" She whisper-yelled. Outside the door I had peered under, lights had flared up and angry yelling had roused. Sarah panicked and flailed her arms. "HIDE!"

Immediately, everyone scrambled around as silently as they could, diving into opened crates to land amongst hard packages, or behind them. Momo even managed to find a hole in an otherwise unopened box and wriggled inside to settle within. The door creaked open slowly. Nobody who was in a crate knew what was coming but Hanna, who was squatting down behind a large crate nearest the door peered around its corner and saw what was there: several huge warriors with thick, leathery skin and long, curly, greasy hair. Their eyes scanned the darkness as if they were hunting for prey. It looked almost as if they had spent their entire lives underground, they were so pale. But they were great ugly brutes, not Selkies, but not quite Clavats either. Too tall for Lilties, and not thin enough to be Yukes. It was….odd.

"Do you see them?" One asked another in a deep, rumbling voice. The recipient of the question lifted his shaggy head and drew in a large amount of air through his nose, as if he were trying to gather the scent of the intruders. A smile grew on his face which turned into a low chuckle. Without warning, he lashed out with a sword drawn from over his back at the crate Hanna hid behind. She had hardly enough time to slam herself against the wall before the top of the weapon grazed the air where she had been looking out at them. She lay hard against the wall, panting, a cold sweat dripping down her face.

"Found you!"

"NO!!" The others burst out from their hiding places, using their chi to blast apart the boxes they were hiding in. Bad luck. There were explosives in some of them. They rocked the entire room, sending bodies flying and banging against walls and other people as they detonated by the fire-like heat. Some went flying back into the room from which they entered. Smoke billowed around them, masking all in their cover. Luckily, none of my friends were hurt. They hauled themselves to their feet in time to make the quick choice to dart through the doorway.

"Help me with these!" Sarah grunted, hauling a limp enemy's body back into the dark room which was billowing smoke into the other. Within moments, they were bound to awaken and be in an angry mood. She dropped one and Jakob merely threw two others, back-to-back, after him. Sarah shoved the bent doorway back onto its hinges and used her chi to seal the cracks, melting it to the surrounding wall.

"Nice move!" Gaia said, awed. Sarah took the compliment in stride and turned towards Amy.

"Where is the South Dungeon?"

Just as Amy was about to say that she didn't know, the wall a bit away exploded with the force of a truck. Bits of concrete and dirt were forced into the room and for the second time in as many minutes, my friends were blown away by the blast. Reinforcements had arrived.

"GET OUT OF HERE! HURRY!!!" Sarah's voice echoed high above the resounding clash of blades colliding and chi clashing. She whirled and sent her blade slicing through an enemy that stood in her way. Through the turning fog, she grabbed the fronts of whoever was nearest and hurtled along the nearest corridor at breakneck speed. She cut down all who came in her way, taking whatever turns came up. She coughed and hacked up a storm as the dust entered her body through the eyes and mouth.

"Sarah! Sarah, stop! I can't breathe!" Gaia coughed. He yanked his shirt out of Sarah's grip and fell down, wheezing. A cut on his cheek signaled that the blast had gotten a piece of him. Still in Sarah's grasp were Amy and Momo. Both bore scratches and bruises from the shrapnel and short fight they'd just gone through. Too bad they were now hopelessly lost.

"Dammit! What're we supposed to do now?!" Momo snarled, dropping into a crouch with her palm on the dirt.

"South dungeons…find Castille…!" Amy said breathlessly. The others' ears pricked up. They remembered the information. But where to start?

"Oh, look! A sign!" Momo said nonplussed, pointing at a little sticky-note-sized scrap of paper stuck to the wall. She reached up and yanked it from its tack and read it.

_You are close. Go to the end of this hallway and I will be waiting in the final room. Come. Quick. Or Katie's life will be in danger. _

"Oh, c'mon! You guys can't possibly be thinking of going with this person! You don't even know if it's a lie! It's not _signed!_" Gaia snarled, ripping it from Momo's hands to examine it more closely. "How do you know it's not a trap?"

I was sitting in my cell, glaring at the doorway as the sounds of explosions and running feet echoed all around me. The door opened and Castille entered looking proud of himself. He knelt down and smiled.

"Katie, I've left a trail of notes for your friends. With any luck at all, they should be coming any second. I'm going up to meet them in the room where I've left the second note. I told them to meet me there. They will be here to rescue you any second, so just hang tight, OK?" He asked. My smile betrayed the glare in my eyes and shone with happiness. He left me, closing his door. The candle in the corner flickered a bit before going out, having burned down to the very bottom of the container, leaving me in darkness, and doubt.

That was several minutes ago and now; Castille was sitting waiting in the room at the end of the hall in a chair against the far wall, directly in front of the doorway. A foolish move. If someone found out that he had betrayed his organization, he would be taken out. But he had utter faith in the people he'd never met before. He trusted them to come before anyone else. But he was nervous. Who the hell wouldn't be?

He tapped his foot impatiently against the floor and fiddled with the chains around his neck. He prayed they would make it in time. There were already sentries pouring from their posts when he had escaped up to this room.

"Sarah, I think we should go!" Momo announced, snatching the note back from Gaia who was studying it with glaring eyes.

"You fool! You can't just trust some note that was left lying around!" Gaia cried.

"Both of you. Sh-shut up! Katie just got a hold of me. She said that Castille _is _in that room," Momo shot Gaia a look of triumph, "but that there are more guards coming our way. She wants us to hurry." Amy said, hauling herself up. That's why she was so quiet.

"You stupid idiots. Why I'm laying my life on the line for you, I'll never know…!!" Gaia snarled. He gripped his sword in both hands and lead the way, his green chi lighting a way down the dim hallway.

"Jake! Jake, over here!" Hanna cried out as a guard lunged at her, bloodlust glittering dangerously from behind his beady black eyes. She called out again to the prince who just seemed to be standing there. He shook his head and ran forward, slashing through the man who was forcing Hanna back and back. "Took you long enough!" Hanna said roughly, shaking the dirt out of her long red hair. She spat out a mouthful of dirt and jumped back into battle.

Sarah, Gaia, and Amy had disappeared amidst the turmoil of the explosion just a moment ago, but Hanna, Jake, and Geoff had not been so lucky. They had been down too long and by the time they picked themselves up, the guards were on them and taking their toll.

"Geoff threw off a Selkie warrior and sent a flying ball of chi into his stomach. The man stumbled backwards and cracked his head open on a piece of rubble before going limp. Geoffrey cast him a disgusted look before kicking another one in the back of the head and landing in a cool pose. Sweat dripped from his brow and dribbled into his eyes. He shook it away angrily and straightened up. That was the last of 'em. All that was left now was to find this Castille person, save Katie, and maybe get a kiss for…?

_'GAK! What'm I thinking?!' _Geoff though embarrassedly.

"Come on! I think I hear more sentinels!" Jake whispered. He took the lead; his sword thrust before him, and darted into the blackness that was the end of the tunnel.

"FINALLY!" Castille cried as the door opened before him. He smiled and let out loud, booming laughs despite all the ruckus that was going on in the background. His eyes crinkled up so that his vision was blocked. Another fatal mistake. He stopped when he realized that the people that had entered the room had not opened the door by normal means, they had kicked it down. This meant trouble.

"I suppose this means you didn't stop by for some late-night tea then?" The Selkish man asked ruefully, gazing at the party of ten of his evil-comrades gathered in the doorway. He dropped into a crouch.

"Is that supposed to be a fighting stance?" One of them asked, making fun of the way Castille had placed his hands on the ground and raised his butt in the air.

"Nope. It's a running crouch!" He cried, and took off down the hallway, past the slightly ajar doorway where four sets of weary eyes watched him pass with looks of realization on their faces.


	47. Lost Souls

**Katie**: Just curious, but I wonder which villain is hated the least?

**Audience**: _laughs_

**Kate**: Both of the groups know the rules of the game, and if we zoom out the camera, you will notice that they're a few feet apart.

_The camera does this and shows Katie looking oddly at the cormation before taking a seat in a high-backed, swivelly, leather chair. _

**Katie**: Just to warn you, there may be some spoliers in this show, so you can skip it if you want to. _Not that you aren't already doing just this. _But heroes and villains tend to want to duke it out a lot. Now let me be quiet and let you enjoy the show.

_Eveyone laughs before getting silent and turning towards the heroes and villains who are facing one another, glaring daggers._

"D-Do you think that w-was him?" Amy asked in a quaking voice, pressing back as the guards bolted after Castille's fleeting form.

"No doubt about it! Did you _see _all those necklaces?" Sarah replied, throwing the door open. "And if Katie says we have to trust him, than trust him we shall. Come! Let us give chase!" she cried, and ran away before anyone could stop her.

"Why's she so hell-bent on getting a hold of that Selkie, anyway?" Gaia complained, gripping the hold on his sword and following at a loping pace.

"Maybe it's because we have no other way of getting to the south dungeons?" Momo put in helpfully.

"Oh! But if we pray hard enough, perhaps another mysterious note will appear!" Gaia chirped in a high-pitched voice. Momo thwacked him.

"Stop fighting, you two! We have to catch up to them!" Amy snapped irritably and put on a burst of speed that lead her up to the end of the line of guards. She shot a chi-blast into their mist which sent them scurrying out of the way.

"Aura shot!" Momo cried.

"Oh great! You've arrived!" Castille exclaimed. He had no sword on him and just jumped at the enemy, grabbing them and throwing them against the walls.

When the other group came to the end of the hallway, there were only torches flickering in brackets hanging on the wall and door after door after door. They looked around frantically, and even opened the doors; some of them were locked even. It was a dead-end.

"CRAP! What're we gonna do?!" Hanna cried, pounding on the walls as if they would give something away.

Beyond the door came the far-off sounds of guards running as if coming out of a cave. She wondered…

"Everyone, back up! I got an idea!" Hanna announced, rolling up her sleeves and flexing her powerful bear legs. She reared back on one as Jake and Geoff scurried away and aimed a well-placed kick at a crack one of her fists had made in the wall. After a tremendous amount of dust and rock falling on the opening, the trio was able to make out more torches beyond the faux wall, going down a flight of stairs, and a running stream at the very bottom of the dark pit.

"Hell yeah!" Geoffrey cried excitedly, wrapping Hanna in a rough, one-armed hug and doing a little jig. Hanna shook him from her with a disgruntled snort.

"Let's go! We've found the sewer." Jakob said calmly, though the diamonds dancing behind his eyes betrayed the elation that was swelling in his heart. If they followed this correct path, then they might just be able to find their _own _way to my prison cell. He hated to think of me in a dark, enclosed space, but knew I was rude and tough enough to cope with anything that came my way.

In a rush, they took the stairs down three at a time, Hanna going even farther, noting the door at the top of the stairs that could be a hiding place when they busted me out. Gathering at the foot of the huge flight, they took a moment to glance left and right. Besides the sound of rushing water, there was nothing; the location of the soldiers was undetectable down here.

"I think we should go right." Geoff said, the hint of authority glistening on the edge of his voice. Jake turned to him, looking livid, about to say something about how he was prince of a country or something similar when Hanna karate-chopped the back of their heads, growling,

"Will you two stop acting like a couple of worried parents?! I know Katie's alive and unharmed, so no fighting over it. Jeez!"

The two guys shot Hanna a dirty look, both silently thankful that Sarah was not a part of their group, and agreed mutely that as long as they beat the flirtatious Gaia, it would all be OK. They clapped their hands together and embraced for a second before jumping apart, looking abashed.

"Everything settled?" Hanna asked, smirking as she read their faces plainly. Both smiled, shrugged, and went down the right passage, leaving a bewildered Hanna in their wake.

Being a bit weirded out by Castille's strength, Gaia, Sarah, Amy, and Momo stood as a close-knit group, beating off enemies that practically thrust themselves on the sword-points. It was all over in a few moments. Not enough to break a sweat.

"You Castille?" Gaia asked guardedly, taking a menacing step forward. Despite his height, Castille towered over him, betraying his belief that all Selkies were small and delicate. 'Though he was a rather good-looking man, he was threatening enough with unnaturally large muscles.

"Of course I am!" the Selkie cried indignantly. He eyed Gaia and laughed. "Katie said something along the lines of having friends like you. C'mon. I wanna get her outta here fast. That Justine has something nasty up 'er sleeve." He turned and beckoned with a huge fist, gesturing that they should follow him. Without looking back to see if they were, he ran with a speed they didn't think possible of someone so large. Behind him, Momo cast the others a despairing look and galloped off after the guy, vanishing into the darkness at the end of the hallway.

"Damn that impulsive brat!" Gaia cursed, forgetting for a moment, the fact that Momo was 5 years his senior. He ran after her all the same, sensing his way forward, following the sound of running steps, leaving far behind the fallen guards. "Oi! How much farther?" he called up to Castille.

"Just' a bit farther. There should be a staircase right up here if I'm not much mistaken…Aha!" Castille let out an exclamation of victory and veered to his left, the rest of his companions stringing along behind him, going down and around a spiraling stone staircase. The darkness here was broken by the occasional flickering torch whose light bounced off their blades and dazzled them. Gaia shook the stars from his eyes and hurried along, keen to keep up with Castille's fast pace.

"We're close." Castille announced when they came to the foot of the stairs. They were in _a _dungeon of sorts, 'though it certainly was not the south one. In either direction extended bar-cells, which allowed a view of the prisoners held there; famished, withering men in armor that had grown so large for their diminished size it held them to the floor so that they could not move close enough to the food that lay rotting in a heap of each cell; Women whose clothing was torn, their bodies used up 'til they resembled nothing more than dried-up burlap sacks.

"This is disgusting…!" Sarah snarled filthily, glancing left and right at the poor folk who had been taken captive by the organization that held dominion over this base. She hardly took more than two seconds to look at each shrunken being, for fear of being sick. The scent of urine and feces hung stale in the air, along with the unmistakable scent of death. They left dieing and rotting bodies in many of the cells, the strongest waft came from their right, along with the view of the people in the worst condition. It was like looking at a time machine; the fittest—if you dared call it that—were here, by the stairs, and they steadily got older, thinner, and more pathetic-looking as they went along. The mere thought of the years they must have spent here make Sarah's stomach churn.

"What the hell…?" Momo growled, gazing at the horror-scene in front of them. She felt so sorry for the lost souls that were trapped here. She wanted so desperately to take the time needed to free every last one of them, yet she knew that if she did, Katie would undoubtedly be moved or killed in retribution. Besides, most of them looked to be in the brink of death anyway. If they were not strong enough even to lift up their armor, then there was no hope. For any of them.

"Move along." Castille's voice was rough and gravelly as he made the four members of my caravan hustle along in the middle of the aisle between cells. From every direction came the feeble cry of alarm, of shuffling away from the bars as if the very though of people not harming them was so frightening it made them cringe. Some begged for release, for a death that—they claimed—would be far better than the one that was awaiting them in this prison.

"Did you do any of this?" Amy asked angrily, waving her hands at the cells. Castille looked deathly ashamed and did not answer, only continuing along the circle-like path in front of them now, not giving the pleas and moaning people a look. But his head was bowed and he didn't speak a word.

"He did this. _He drove these people to their deaths!_" Momo seethed, clenching her fists, her tail curling up in anger. The need to slash his throat was so tempting, the grip on her sword felt almost alive. Sarah placed her hand on Momo's shoulder and shook her head. A silent understanding went through the both of them and Momo calmed down.

In silence, Castille navigated them through the winding halls of the dungeon. There were no turns, only curved walls which seemed to be sloping down as they went further underneath the earth. They began to notice the odd quiet of the cells on either side and took a moment to observe.

Skeletons.

The reason there was no more noise was because the people here had already died, and their remains were piled up here; one on top of another in a non-caring heap; their clothes still on, and rats nesting in the hollows of their empty skulls.

A hellish death.

And there was more winding and turning and more death on both sides of the path, but no stench. These natives had been dead for a while. Another vile thought.

Eventually, a change came about the cells; they were becoming enclosed and had metal doors with no windows so that nothing could be seen within them.

"Welcome to the south dungeon, folks," Castille said nonchalantly, his boots clopping softly on the stones beneath their feet. The door at the end of the hallway seemed to be the most heavily-sealed one; huge bolts were screwed into the lining and a thick metal bar lay across its front, along with a big, heavy lock. The key hung on Castille's waist.

He pulled it up and unlocked the cell door. My friends' hearts pounded as they waited to see what had happened to me after all this time…


	48. Betrayal

**Geoff**: I can't believe we agreed to do this.

**Sarah**: Who agreed? This was trickery! They promised us things!

**Amy**: I don't know what you're all complaining about. I'm happy.

**Bertrum**: Of course you're happy. You're in your own house.

**Amy**: Yes, but then again, you're all here.

**Geoff**: What the heck is that suppose to mean?

**Amy**: Nothing.

**Sarah**: Quit fighting you guys!

**Justine**: Yeah. Shut up.

**Bertrum**: You're giving me a headache.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?!" Hanna cried exasperatedly after an hour or so of heavy running and taking random turns, hitting dead-ends, and back-stepping.

"How the bloody hell do you expect us to know where we're at?! We've never been here before, dummy!" Geoff snapped indignantly

"I don't know either. We shouldn't be messing around like this. Katie needs us! And we're separated from the rest of the group. What if they're in trouble or something?" Hanna replied, just as angrily.

"Well, we'll never find a way to go unless we keep going. C'mon, let's head this way." Jakob took them down yet another seemingly hopeful passage that ended in another black, imposing wall.

"God, damn it!" Geoff howled, punching the wall next to him as they all glared at the insulting stone wall.

"Wait! There's a ladder!" Hanna cried, pointing at the rusted steel bars set at regular intervals up the barricade. Indeed, there were. About 15 bars rested in the stone, going up about 20 feet, so there was a bit of space between each one. If one of the rusty bars broke, then it was either a nasty fall back onto the ground or a wet dive into the river which sloshed against the wall and headed back the way it came, leaving the floor slippery and wet.

"Let's check it out," Geoffrey said instantly, eager to be out of the tunnels. He grasped the first bar and hoisted himself up, grasping his sword in his teeth, lest he need it later. Hanna and Jake waited below him as he clambered his way up. Within seconds, his head bounced against the ceiling; a loose stone in the floor above. Gingerly, so's not to attract attention if anyone was in the room, he lifted the tile up about a quarter-inch and peered out into what appeared to be a dungeon.

"_You guys, I found it!_" He hissed in delight.

"Eh? What'ss thiss?" a voice hissed softly, noticing a loose part of the ground. The body it belonged to lumbered over, and before Geoff could close it and drop down to safety, the tile was opened and revealed a deformed Clavat with stringy hair and mottled face peering curiously into the hole. His mouth opened in shock when he saw Jake and Hanna on the ground, doused in sunlight as if they had been spotted by prison lights. Geoff, on the other hand, had been using the ledge as support, and his surprise cost him his grip. He fell, plummeting into the choppy waters, thankfully, but he was carried off before the other two could do anything to save him.

"Don't…wo-orry about me-ee…!" he called as he disappeared around the bend, the water too rough for him to swim to the path and climb back up.

"GEOFF!" Hanna shrieked in alarm, tempted, for a second, to dive into the water to go after him, but the head of the floundering bandit was nowhere to be found. For now, it was just her and Jake, and she knew she could not leave him alone.

"HEY! INTRUDERSS! INTRUDERSS!" the Clavat bellowed, his eyes still locked onto the two in the sewers.

"Hey! Ugly! Shut your yap!" Hanna demanded, leaping for the bars and flying up them with such agility, despite having her big legs. She came face-to-face with the brute and punched him in the face, not being in the best position to slice his throat. Taking little notice of her surroundings, she let off blasts of her chi at her enemy's feet, making him dance in a very entertaining way.

"Hanna, we don't have time to mess around!" Jakob snapped, jumping through the hole and landing on all fours. He pulled his sword out of his mouth and threw it at the Clavat who had made a mad dash for the end of the hallway. He didn't make it however, and landed face-first into the floor with a wind-hole in his stomach. "He sent for reinforcements. We don't know where we are, and we've just lost Geoffrey. We have to leave before we lose each other."

"Let's do this, then!" Hanna said. First, she kicked the tile back over the hole in the ground, sealing it off. Then, she jabbed at the air to her right; the opposite direction that the Clavat had tried to take. Jake retrieved his sword and just noticed where they were; what seemed to be a palace room.

A huge bed lay in one end, adorned with gold and jewels of all shades, thick rugs lay all around it, and large, lavish chairs dotted the walls. 'Though the two couldn't quite figure out why that guard was here—probably trying to nick a few of those gems—they knew they were in the ring-leader's nest, a very bad place to be. They hurried out of the only door in the area, down a long ways from their current spot, and just managed to dart into a thankfully-unlocked room as the sound of pounding feet and foreign language reached their ears.

"Phew. That was close, wasn't it?" Hanna asked nervously, the blood racing in her veins. She lay panting against the door with Jake at her side. Simultaneously, their eyes locked on the open arch in the corner; it lay across a staircase and a piece of parchment. They leapt up and approached it. Jake peeled off the note and read aloud what was written on it:

_'My name is Castille. If you find this, then you have found the south dungeon entrance. Go down these steps and take a left. At the end of the curved hallway, there will be a heavily-locked door. Behind the 3rd stone on your right, and 14 stones up, a loose stone will hold an extra key. Use it and rescue Katie. Please.' _

"Weird, huh?" Hanna asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Jake nodded and folded the note carefully before tucking it into his pocket. He gritted his teeth and started down the stairs, leaping down these like they had the other ones, all his thoughts on Katie.

Castille opened the door and revealed a dark, empty-looking room.

"Katie…?" Gaia called hesitantly into the gloom, taking one step forward into the darkness. His voice left no echo, revealing that this was, indeed a small, enclosed room. But there was no reply.

"Where is she?" he asked automatically, glaring accusingly at Castille.

"She's on the back wall. Justine and Bertrum gave her some drug so she's knocked out. Go on, the lot of you. Here's the key to get her unchained. I'm gonna stay here and let you know if anyone's coming," Castille said, tossing a small brass key at Amy who caught it on reflex. Huh. If the Selkie trusted them enough to give them the key that would free me, then I must've been there. Amy nodded and led Momo and Sarah into the room.

"Ha! FOOLS!" Castille cackled. He slammed the door shut as soon as Sarah's heel was inside and locked it with a triumphant laugh. "You believed me! I can't believe you! You're such trusting idiots. Haha! Now I can get my promotion. 'Castille caught the intruders! Congratulations! Captain Castille, oh what a wonderful ring those words have!"

"YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD!" Gaia bellowed, pounding out is anger on the steel door that held him and the others in the blackness. With no light and four of them in the small enclosure, he was beginning to feel claustrophobia setting in.

"Hmph. It's your own damn fault for believing my amazing acting skills, loser," Castille replied saucily.

"Where is Katie?! Is she still alive! Tell me you didn't hurt her!" Amy cried.

"Oh, she's alive all right. We wouldn't kill her. After all, she still has a job left to do…," the trailing end of him sentence left an ominous feeling hanging in the air.

"You mean killing Margaret, don't you?" Sarah asked.

"Of course. But after that, we can kill her. Justine just hasn't seemed to have taken a liking to the twit. So, after she's lived her purpose, she's as good as dead. Haha. I'd better go break the sad news to her; _that her friends are all dead_," the Selkie chirped happily, leaving a very tense quiet in his wake.

"Dammit, we should never have trusted him!" Momo moaned, gripping the sides of her head in frustration in anger.

"I know. You should have trusted _me _instead!" Gaia snarled, angry at the others for not have done so.

They all took up positions on the ground and sat, angry and pissed, in awkward silence. The betrayal of them by Castille was a heavy blow. Now, their only hope was that Jakob, Geoff, and Hanna were alive and able to save them or Katie. Because if not, they would be left to die like the rest of the people they had seen.

"Y-you don't think they're gonna make her do it, are you?" Momo asked nervously, wrapping her arms around her knees and chewing her lower lip.

Gaia banged his head against the wall and ground his teeth in frustration. Frustration over the fact that he had let himself get caught so easily in this childish ploy and over the fact that he was irreversibly, irrevocably, impossibly…trapped.

My head jerked up with a snap. I made a vain attempt to reach up and rub the kink out of it, but the chains held my arms fast and I gave up after giving the thought a millisecond of thought. I knew it was a vain try, and sighed at my stupidity. Several hours had managed to elapse, or so I imagined. My mind had strayed during my painful slumber and when I awoke and found myself still chained to the wall, but unharmed none the less, it was something of a let down. I twitched my legs and groaned, bored out of my mind.

I was instantly alert when I heard footsteps coming toward the door. Maybe it would be my friends?

I was sorry when I saw that Castille came through, looking oddly smug and yet excited, as if he had accomplished something I knew nothing of. A light bulb went off in my head as my intuition said something was up. I remembered that I still knew zilch about the strange Selkie who offered me his help less than 2 days ago. I bunched up and eyed him warily as two other horribly familiar figures came in behind him, looking as if they were in on some secret. Another light.

**RAC: **I greatly thank MagicTragedies for finally reviewing my story! XD I really appreciate hearing from everybody - even if it's just to criticize me, I know I'm not perfect, after all. I'd have to say that Gaia's my fave character. I love his childish personality. :P LoL. Well, I've got over NINE HUNDRED clicks/reads so if anybody else wants a shout-out, let me know with a review!

Ciao!


	49. Interrogation

**Nich**: Uh. Who're those freaks? _points to Castille._

**Katie**: They're Castille. A traitorous bastard.

**Castille**: _Thwacks Katie w/ a shoe_

**Katie**: Owch! What the hell, man?!

**Castille**: Shut up.

**Nich**: What he said. Forget I even asked anybody.

**Katie**: I didn't do anything!!!

**Amy**: _wraps an arm around Katie's shoulder. _My dear idiot, you need to know that because Castille is so stupid - a mindless pawn really - he hardly registers anything he does as evil.

**Castille: **Dammit! I'm not evil! I'm a genius! Admit it!

**Gaia: **Uh. You betrayed us. So yes, you're a bastard.

**Castille: **That wasn't what I was asking. _sweatdrop_

"Good evening, Katie," Bertrum said chipperly, the corners of his eyes rising in a smile.

"What is it now, Bertrum?" I asked, not giving him my attention. He scoffed and laughed aloud.

"We've come for you, you know! We know your friends have infiltrated our base and--," he was interrupted by Justine who carried on his sentence as if she had started it,

"Have decided that plan had better get a jump-start. McCarthy here has just given me some _wonderful _news; that he just captured four of the pathetic fools!" She let out an annoying chuckle, and in doing so, made goose bumps erupt on my arms and legs. I shivered and shook and quivered like I had just been dropped into the Arctic with nothing more than a blanket. I made my head swing side-to-side in defiance. I wouldn't believe them until I had found out for myself.

Not caring that there were witnesses, I released my chi in a desperate attempt to connect with Amy's mind before I lost my own. I broke through her defenses and sifted through the images of a dark room, dreading already, that she was one of the captured few.

_'Amy! Amy! It's Katie!' _

_Yes, Katie…I know. I'm sorry I failed you… _

_'Shut up! I don't have time for your moping, dummy! They've come for me! I'm going to kill Margaret!' _

_Yes. I'll have to apologize to her when I see her in Heaven as well. _

_'Amy! Don't you dare die on me! Don't die! I'll find a way to save you!' _

_Only Hanna, Jake, and Geoff are left. The rest of us are in some cell. I don't know where. Castille betrayed us! _

_'I know. I'll take care of him! Just don' gi—,' _

And my connection was broken as a sharp pain exploded inside my head. Bertrum's thoughts raced through my mind as, I thought, he searched for the connection between me and my friend. He found nothing however, and pulled back, his prey lost.

I panted with exhaustion and smiled evilly at Bertrum back in reality. He got nothing from me, and never would. I would protect my friends with my own life. We promised we would the day we set out from River Belle all those months ago…

"Peh. It doesn't matter that I was not able to break the other girl's mind. Katie will have to do. Perhaps…before we send her off, we should have her do another…_side task?_" He asked Justine silkily, his eyes dancing. I didn't like the turn this had taken. I didn't wanna cause my friends any more harm…

Justine seemed to be contemplating this, turning wheels and clocks in her mind as she mulled over the consequences and possibilities. She hummed and moved about as best she could around Castille's bulk in circles. She looked like one of those dumb dogs that run around a tree until their leash snaps them back with a painful and hilarious tug. Only, in this situation, I was the one chained, and helpless, soon to be laughed at.

"Yes. I think we can afford it, Bertrum. Get into the girl's mind. We'll take her to meet her precious friends before she goes into the city. It should be…_fun_." She put extra emphasis on the word, which I found sickening. I screwed my face up and looked around the room in panic.

"Get away from me!" I shrieked as the demonic Clavat advanced upon me, looking eager to place his hands on my temples and place his mind in my own. I shook the chains and shrank against the wall, fear gripping me. "Stay back!"

He did not listen. With almost sick pleasure, Castille stepped around Justine who vanished out the door, and bent down looking as if he had forgotten something, grabbed me in a bear-hug, holding me against the wall. I thrashed like a carp. "No! Don't do this!!" I begged, tears running down my cheeks. It was hopeless. Bertrum reached out and snaked his fingers through my hair and pressed his lips to my forehead, sending convulsions through my body. I tried with all my might to reject him, but nothing worked. Slowly, like fog forming on the dewy grass, his cold thoughts entered my own and I blacked out beneath their swirling waters.

I did not resurface.

About an hour ago, Geoffrey had emerged from the sewer-lake sopping wet and cold. He'd run and rerun through the passages underground, slowly drying off, but not losing the chills. Somewhere up above, he knew something was going wrong, and that he was going to be powerless to stop it. He struggled vainly to find the way back to where he'd left Jakob and Hanna unwillingly, having been swept away by the swirling water, but the farthest he got was a bend that led to a 15-foot-across gap with an impossibly-fast-moving stretch of foamy stream.

Cursing angrily as time trickled by slowly, he sat down to compose his thoughts and come to terms with what was inevitably going to happen:

A.) Margaret was going to die if someone did not get a hold of me

B.) The others were surely going to get captured and/or killed if they were not already

C.) I would die without him

This third one bothered him the most. I didn't know what Geoff thought of me, but he didn't yet either. The only thing he knew for sure was that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he did not atleast _try _to do something. He jumped up, icy calm racing through his veins as he turned and ran back to that vast expanse of water. He was surprised when his feet took him straight to the ledge; that he had not gotten lost when his mind was wandering was a huge surprise. He didn't think twice; he dove in, performing a huge arcing swan-dive, creating little splash, and swam along the bottom where the current was weakest. (**RAC: **Is this possible??? ;;)

He popped up on the other side and lifted himself out. He followed what he remembered and came to the ladder at the end of the passage. Leaping up and getting a firm grasp on the bars with his wet grip, he clambered up in seconds. Not caring any more that his sword had been lost in the swirling torrents, he pushed the tile up and exploded into the throne room.

His head turned this way and that, looking for potential opponents, but none came. The dead body further along told him that one of his companions had been here. It heartened him and gave him the strength he needed to run and run through the halls, meeting no one and making little to no noise.

"Do you think we're getting closer?" Jake asked Hanna in a whisper as she peered around a corner in search of enemies. A patrol of soldiers, most likely on their routine inspection of the premises as they weren't running around like chickens with their heads cut off, filed past at a leisurely pace. Hanna debated whether or not taking out her frustration on them was the smartest decision. She opted for answering Jake's question instead.

Backtracking so they were behind the corner, Hanna leaned back and exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She glanced at Jake and he took that as a signal to pull that weird note out of his pocket.

"It says 'end of the hallway'. We still need to go down there…," he waved his arm vaguely in the direction of the hall. Other ways branched off in different direction, but rather than be distracted by guards and be swarmed, they had stuck to the shadows and made their way slowly towards the end of this one.

Silently and lithe like cats, two of the remaining 4 of my companions slipped across breaks in the tunnel and brushed aside wary guards keen on capturing the intruders they'd heard were loose. Little did they know that two were in front of their very nose.

Soon they came to the very end of the hall feeling very exposed as they huddled against the heavy metal door. Jake counted out the bricks and tapped the ones that weren't it as he searched for the loose one while Hanna knocked against the door, sending tiny echoes into the room where 4 people were being held captive…

"Did you hear that…?" Amy asked sullenly, shooting furtive glances in the general direction of the door as Hanna's knockings bounced around inside her mind.

"Yes. Something's there for sure," Gaia said, unsheathing his blade. Lucky for them, Castille seemed to be a very forgetful bastard. He assumed a semi-defensive posture as the sound of a brick scraping out of place came to his ears.

"You think it's Jake, Geoff, and Hanna?" Momo asked hopefully.

Amy shook her head. "Remember that convo I just had with Kate? She said that they were missing. We're not gonna have help from them. Forget it." Amy wasn't a pessimistic person by nature, but her dismissive tone shook them all up a bit. A key scraped in the lock and torch-light flooded the small room, though only reaching the mid-point of the room. Amy scrambled up and blinked blearily into the faces of her rescuers, the fact that Geoff wasn't with them not quite registering as they flung themselves onto the two.

"JAKE! HANNA!!" Momo giggled, bouncing into the air, her tail curling in excitement as Hanna enveloped her in an equally excited hug.

"Dammit, Momo!" Gaia cursed as several guards came trooping down the hall to investigate the source of the disturbance. They looked bored and rather weary, not caring which way the battle would turn.

"Hey! You, stop right there!" One barked, leading a group of his fellows at them.

"Ahh, this is gonna be great. Castille, hell is loose, and is comin' a knockin' on your door!" Gaia cackled, rushing into the nearest man and elbowing him in the stomach. He jerked his elbow past the breaking point and pivoted on his hip, sending the poor guy rocketing into the wall. Momo leapt on top of another man and bit viciously at a patch of exposed skin around his neck, making him feel nauseated; he collapsed a second later.

"Put poison on my fangs. Pretty nifty, huh?" She asked happily, leaping atop another man.

Hanna blasted through another guard with multiple Aura Shots 'til her was nothing more than a splash of blood and bone shards on the ground and jump-kicked another in the face, her powerful legs shattering his nose and entering his skull. Blood spurted out everywhere; he was dead before his brain even thought about registering the intense pain.

Amy parried with another guy, stepping forward and back, getting a cut on her leg. She collapsed for a second. When the man was about to take advantage of this, she leapt and rolled between his legs, screaming for Jake who turned and on complete accident, made the sentry impale himself on the blade. With a snort of disgust, he shook the corpse off.

It was shaping up to be an extremely easy battle.

**RAC: **Just to say, I'm so freaking happy right now. I've got a 4-day weekend, and last night I worked on the finale of Echoes. It's gonna be uber sweet, but you've still got a ways to go, as Ryoma Echizen says! XP


	50. No Control

**Katie**: Why don't you just stick it in your juice box and suck it, Castille? You're just a freaking ninja or something anyway. _glare_

**Castille**: Oy! Don't you go insultin' my family now! We actually _are_ part ninja.

**Katie**: _muttering uner my breath _No wonder you're such an idiot.

**Castille**: You wanna get s fight goin' shrimp?

**Katie**: Pashaw! It's already been started, Hulk!

**Hanna**: Some people are just _born _idiots, aren't they? _sigh_

**Momo**: And we've just got to have these two in the story.

**Gaia**: Don't start anything, you guys. Let's try and make peace with them and maybe we all won't die! _walks over to the enemy _You ready to play a fun game of Truth or Dare now?

**Bertrum**: Do I get to kill you if I play? _evil grin_

**Sarah**: _sweating a little _I don't think we should let Katie play...

**Katie**: Why?!

**Jakob**: It really just isn't going to be safe. You're starting to pull some serious shit in the story.

**Geoff**: Yeah! You can just be a good little girl and sit in the corner.

**Hanna**: Even that's not appropriate.

**Katie: **Hey! I'm the freaking host, you ungrateful asses!

Sarah had teamed up with Gaia and was busy hacking away at a man that had been begging for his life. Too bad he'd met a person with Sarah's idea on morals. She took pleasure in slicing him open; from navel to nose. His entrails spilt on the floor.

All my friends stood, panting, over the massacre; on the ground which was a running river of tasteless, strangely odorless blood. Gaia peered down at his last victim and took a whiff before backing away swiftly after a closer look.

"The guy's dead!" He gagged and covered his nose.

"Well, of course he is. We kinda just slashed him to pieces," Sarah said casually, resting her blade on her shoulder.

"No, I mean, he's _been _dead," He said, as if that clarified the whole situation. He seemed bemused by the fact that none of the others had figured it out yet.

"Y'know no one can bring the dead back to life, right…?" Jakob asked, cocking an eyebrow and casting the Clavat an odd look.

It was an odd feeling, this possession. I felt as if my mind was drifting above soft clouds, occasionally touching them, giving me cold chills and a vision of what was happening. I was weightless, as if in space, 'though there was no physical evidence of my body here in this dark realm. Other than the fuzzy white clouds, there was nothing. I made vague attempts to try and move a part of myself, but nothing happened. I was in Bertrum's control, and utterly helpless.

_Do you wish to see…?_ A voice asked, sounding as if it came from far away. I weighed the possibilities, debating whether or not I did. I decided that yes, I should. I should atleast _try _and save my friends. Perhaps a little visualization would help. I was suddenly plunging into the white cloud mass, spinning and free-falling until I came to a screeching halt on what felt like a glass wall.

Groggily lifting myself up; noting that I had something resembling my body only it was misty and not entirely in focus. I peered around; there was nothing, and so I looked through the glass wall beneath me, cupping my hands around my eyes so I could see more clearly. The glass was still steamy-lookin, so I breathed onto it and it cleared and instantly I was able to see through what looked like a magnifying glass, everything seemed so huge. The glass moved around, gathering information, and I realized that I must be seeing things that Bertrum was making me see for he pulled my shirt out and I was seeing my own breasts.

Even though I had no true substance in my own consciousness and blushed furiously, blushing and cursing the evil Clavat's existence. Nevermind my embarrassment, there was something going on ahead. The out-me sniffed and I, on the inside, got a scent of something rusty and salty; blood. It as carried on the stale air of the passage I was going through. I took note that neither Justine nor Bertrum appeared to be with my body. Probably manipulating me from somewhere "safe".

_'Hmph. There will **be **no "safe" place for you, once I get control of my body again, you bastard!' _I thought rudely. Up ahead, my eyes were seeing my friends. I gulped. I'd ducked behind a passage when Jake looked up, having thought he heard something. Dead bodies littered the ground around him, and I knew they had fought their way out of wherever it was they had come from, searching for me.

I felt my heart swell with emotion. I knew that I was putting my friends through needless torture, and I was sorry for it. I began to argue with the part of Bertrum's mind that I knew was somewhere in this dark realm with me.

"You don't actually think I'll kill them, do you?" I asked skeptically, my voice echoing oddly around the cavern. Huh…my mind really _was _empty. (**RAC: **;;)

_Hehehe. Like I said, my dear, you have no choice in the matter. Your fellows will take you into their midst gladly, and I shall allow them to pass, without a guard coming at them. They will think that they are in the relative safety of their inn when I tell them that you disposed of Justine and myself, and then you will kill them all and Margaret…and then yourself…Hehehe… _

And his thoughts vanished, leaving me with nothing more than a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. Bertrum was indeed sicker than I thought if he enjoyed carnage this much. I gulped and began again.

"Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?" I asked.

_Ahh. Don't think of it like that. I have nothing against you personally. It is just what my Justine desires. And I desire her. I will do anything to make her mine. _

"Atleast there's some type of life in this whole scheme!" I said sarcastically. I shook my head in disgust and went back to observe what I was doing on the outside. I had stepped out from the wall and ran, screaming and crying at my friends, my arms held open. For a second, they just stood there, not quite believing that I had managed to escape on my own. The blinked and stared, mouths hanging open in shock. Amy was the first to break free of it, and the others, and came running at me and enveloped me in a hug. She was quickly followed by the rest, who gave out yells of excitement.

"Where were ya?!"

"Are you hurt?"

"You little fool!"

"Dummy, you had no idea how worried I was about you!"

"Don't you dare think about going off on your own for a long, long time after this, y'hear?"

I was expecting an insult like "dumbass" to emerge out of the ones from my friends, but none came. I extracted myself from them and stepped back, mock horror on my face, but inside, seething.

_Where is the bandit leader?! _

"Wh-where is Geoffrey?" I asked weakly, shaking, chewing a fingernail. Hanna wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me to her.

"We lost him, Katie. He fell into the water when we came up from the sewer," she whispered softly, offering me comfort I was not receiving from behind the glass. Bertrum's voice rang out sharp and clear, 'though from farther away, as if he were giving orders to others from outside my thoughts, though still holding onto me. I made attempts to shake him out while this seemed to be his weakest point, but nothing changed. He came back in full force, intent on trying to learn more on Geoff's whereabouts.

"P-please tell me…where did you lose him?" I asked desperately, putting on such a sappy performance that I was sure someone would notice I was being controlled. Hopefully Amy would. I looked anxiously at her face. She had stepped back and was examining me as if I were a slide under a microscope. I cheered.

_Feh. Don't get too excited, little fool…! _

"It was in the--," Hanna was cut off mid-sentence by Amy who layed her arm across Hanna and separated me and her. Bertrum's thoughts dithered for a moment.

"What are you doing, Amy? I'm trying to find Geoff!" I wailed pitifully. Oh God, if I ever got out of this, I was going to kill myself.

"We'll take you. Come along. Jake, lead the way," Amy said casually, gesturing forward, out of the passage. Jake shot her a perplexed look, but followed her command, leading the group away, though they all stayed close to me as if they thought I was going to disappear if they took their eyes off me. It felt weird, knowing that their eyes weren't seeing the real me.

Along the way, I heard Bertrum making orders in the back of my mind, and answering questions at multiple intervals being shot at me. He gave them the answer that I had got rid of himself and Justine, 'though Castille had gotten away and would need to be looked out for. _That _much wasn't expected of me, though I was congratulated none the less. I took the empty praise, but was still shaken. I stood up inside and immediately the glass fogged up again. I shivered and willed myself up. Amazingly I began to float to the tops of my limit.

_And where do you think you're going? _

I ignored Bertrum's lazy voice and flitted around, checking ways out, 'though they all seemed to go on forever, and I didn't have enough time to waste on seeing just how far. I felt something click into place and I remembered that connection I had with Amy. I worried over whether or not I would be able to reach her when my mind and chi were being controlled by Bertrum. I tried to let out little bursts of chi, but all that I got were a few chuckles from Bertrum which only fueled my anger.

Outside, I collapsed and began to pant and clutch my chest as if I were in pain. A slight sheen of sweat broke out on my face and I paled, making the ruse all the more convincing.

"Are you OK?" Gaia asked, bending down and looking at me. My psyche-self dropped onto the glass like a dead fly, intent on seeing what Bertrum was planning. I was pleased to see that Amy had detached herself from the others and was standing a little ways away and giving me the weird look that she got when she was displeased. I got that look a lot.

"M-my chest hu-hurts…!" I panted heavily, grasping my shirt. I coughed and fell over, going into fake spasms.

Immediately, everyone gathered around me, sure that I had been poisoned in some way before being released. Gaia's hands fluttered over my body as if he could feel out the bad vibes emanating from me. He mumbled something and his hands halted over my head.

All of a sudden, a blade seemed to materialize above my head so fast, even Bertrum had been unable to foretell its appearance. I felt myself jerk instinctively away from its razor edge and cower against the floor. I cried out pitifully for some explanation as to why my friend was threatening me so. I hate to admit it, but this Clavat was indeed an excellent performer. But none the less, Gaia's expression darkened and his eyes clouded as if he were unable to see what had possessed me so.

"Gaia! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Momo cried angrily, leaping forward and thrusting herself at Gaia so's not to allow any harm to befall my physical body. I doubted Bertrum would care any if so.


	51. Kill Me Yourself

**Gaia**: What's up, evil folks?

**"Evil Folks"**: _glare death at Gaia_

**Justine**: We were given actual names, you know.

**Gaia**: You think I'm so stupid as to not know that? It just takes too long. _smile_

**Bertrum**: What do you want with us, you fool?

**Gaia**: I come on behalf of my friends to ask you whether or not you're ready to start playing.

**Justine**: Get bent.

**Gaia**: _blink_ My. You truly _are _evil.

**Justine**: It took you this long?

**Gaia**: _raises an index finger _No. I am actually a highly talented and educated individual. _tries to sound all smart._

**Justine**: I repeat: get bent.

Gaia remained un movable and I lay, petrified beneath his quivering grasp that had encased my eyes so that all was dark. I relied on hearing as a fight seemed to break out beyond me.

"Stop! What if you hurt her you fool?!" Jakob's angry voice snapped. He appeared only to act half-heartily though; as if Amy's odd mannerisms had been contagious. He also believed that something wasn't right with me.

"This isn't Katie…," Gaia mumbled softly, gripping my head tighter in his huge hands. I got a dirty thought and shook it from my mind at this mental image. I imagined I blushed on the outside as well.

"Look at her! You're hurting her; she's turning all red!" Sarah quipped. She stormed forward, angry with Gaia's impudence, and wrenched his hand from my body, allowing light to shed on the scene.

Amy stood on the outskirts of the group, appearing tense again; her hands gripped both her sword and the shield that was slung over her back. Bertrum knew his time was running out and he had not long to make his plans come to life.

_Oh, to hell with the loser bandit! The time to strike is now! _

I heard Bertrum's shrill voice ring through my thoughts and was horrified. I had not anticipated it to happen this soon.

_'No, Bertrum! Please, spare them!' _I shrieked as I leapt up unwillingly.

"Woah!" My friends all started at my sudden movement and crowded around me again.

A dark scowl appeared on my face then and the normally smooth features darkened to a menacing face of hatred. I let out a ferocious, feral snarl and leapt at Gaia, who was still the closest to me; with tenacity that I knew did not belong to me.

My sword flew out with lightning speed and the Clavation boy had not a second to react to this change. Drops of his ruby-blood adorned the walls as Bertrum took another slash, breaking through Gaia's defenses utterly as if they were warm butter.

Gaia clutched his stomach in agony and lay, propped up on one elbow; somehow still managing to secure that threatening look of defiance as he lay there, bleeding from a gash in his stomach which was the worst place to receive such a wound.

"You will all perish here; you will never see the light of day again, fools!" Bertrum's horrid voice rasped hungrily from my throat at the sight of one of my own already crippled as such. I growled again and stabbed down, infusing the attack with my chi so that when Gaia spread his legs to avoid it, the ground exploded in an eruption of pink lights and rubble.

As the others watched in horror at my supposed-betrayal; their eyes and mouths covered to block the smog from entering their lungs, Gaia and I burst from the eye of the whirlwind, locked in a fierce combat. Already Gaia was failing to fend off my attacks and failing at holding his slips of flesh that created a barrier which held his insides together.

Amy, fed up with this, and having not been able to attack sooner, leapt into the battle without waiting to consort the others on said decision. They were too paralyzed with shock.

"Gaia! Get the hell out of here, dummy!" Amy cried, thrusting herself at me and stopping my strike for Gaia's chest. He didn't need to be told twice; he threw himself out of the way, to be taken into the arms of Sarah who did so on instinct.

I licked my lips thoughtfully and contemplated Amy, who may just be the toughest one out of all my companions, with a dark sparkle thrumming in the back of my mind.

_Alas, this should be a great fight. I will relish the sounds of her bones breaking beneath my sword and her blood trailing through the dirt….Hohoho! _

Bertrum's sadistic thoughts disgusted me and my little spirit body turned and faced the darkness that loomed up above me with a fierce determination. At once, I rocketed upward through the darkness, keen on finding a way out of the abyss even if it killed me. My blood thrummed all around me instead of inside of my chest, which was odd, but I was never alone, and this feeling followed me all the way as I continued my frenzied search for my own brain.

**Amy's POV **

'_Alas, that these last few moments you have on this earth, dearest friend, shall be when you are possessed. Forgive me for my mistakes, for I was unable to release you from his hold…'_

Hot, angry tears appeared on my cheeks as I pushed myself towards the face I had always cherished dearer than even my own life. I let out a battle cry and unsheathed my wrath upon my friend, fending off her attacks with my own. Locked in equal combat, forcing each other back, I knew that it would be a while.

"Go get Geoffrey!" I cried, diving for Katie's feet; she leapt unnaturally high into the air. Indeed, so much so that her feet landed squarely on the ceiling and she propelled herself at me with the intent of murder. I whirled around and back-flipped away, awed at Bertrum's power. Yes, I knew it had been him. I knew that was no such way Katie herself would have been able to harm Gaia in such a manner. Plus, she hadn't sent me any forewarning of her escape through our telepathic connection.

_'Katie…if you are indeed lost to me…and you do anything else to harm the others, then…**I will kill you myself…!' **_

I hated myself for being unable to stop the tears. I wiped them away angrily and release an Aura Shot from a crouched position, no longer requiring the painful stance that I had used previously. It nicked Katie on the shoulder, but no other harm came to her. I cursed, but upon further inspection, saw that my friends had left us.

"Heh. It appears we are alone now, my friend!" Bertrum spat hatefully, froth dripping from his mouth. How this rabid man had come into existence, I had not the stomach to ask. Every thing about him sickened me to my very core and I hated him all the more for wrenching my friend from me.

"YOU…**BASTARD**!!" I bellow, lunging at Katie with my sword's hilt pointed at him. The sudden change in my weapon's position appears to have unsettled the beast, for he stumbled with the impact it had on him. The hilt slammed into Katie's forehead and I regretted my actions, for though I had promised myself, I could not bring to reality, her death. She held her head in a manner liking to that of one who has a huge migraine. She looked up almost immediately though and blood trickled between her fingers.

It was then that she took off in the direction I hoped was opposite of the one which the others had taken. Seeing her fleeing form awakened within me the notion that this wasn't Katie. This was indeed another being all together, and wrenching away my feelings for her, I pursued the fleeting figure.

She was disappearing fast, and so to gain on her, I unleashed a blade of chi that I would later learn was the Power Blast. It whirled through the air, lighting it up as it went along, and crashed before Katie's feet, knocking her on her butt with its force. Through the shimmering whirlwinds, I slowed to a canter and approached with caution so I wouldn't be taken by surprise like poor Gaia had been.

I saw Katie's body lying there, limp like a rag doll and was subconsciously regretting my moves, thinking I had killed her. I reached forward, intent on carrying her body all the way back to RBP and through the portal to our own world. One as pure as she deserved to be laid in a place that was familiar to her. But she jumped like a skittish animal and snatched her weapon from the ground and faced me, angry once more.

"So…you were faking. You _weren't _free of Bertrum's hold at all…_were_ you, Katie?" I asked pitifully, cocking my head in a sorrowful manner. "You pretended you were normal…only to come back and make attempts to kill us all, weren't you?"

_'I cannot allow Bertrum to keep hold over you any longer, my precious friend…' _I had to brace myself for what I was about to do.

"I have come…to set you free of all pains of this world…!" I uttered in barely more than a whisper, 'though I thought this was lost on Bertrum's ears, for he had not made a move, nor spoken a word since I had come upon him once more. But we both nodded mutually and dashed forward, intent on making this the final showdown.

Katie attacked with some sort of move that allowed a great serpent of power to burst from her arm; it enveloped her entire arm and wound its way around her other so that the entire passage was awash in color. I too, released my chi, though in erratic blasts that lurched forward chaotically. I was not able to hold my nerve _and _my resolve at the same time.

Katie's snake stretched forward and caught me off-guard with its reach. It tightened me so that my hands were forced to drop the blade, lest they were broken. Bertrum began to chuckle; his hideous voice alighting from Katie's mouth triggered another burst of energy and I was able to get myself free of the serpent in time to knock her sword from her hands.

It skittered away, to be lost in the darkness as her chi fluttered and then sparked out, so that only my chi, dulled by my pain, glowed. I advanced slowly upon her like a lioness stalking its prey.

_'Do not fear, my dear. I will not let you be the only one to die….' _

I shoved her down and crouched over her, my knees lodging painfully in her hips, holding her down with one arm whilst with the other, I prepared to drive the proverbial stake through her heart.

"Please Katie, I beg of you; do not hate me for the rash decisions I make. What I do is all for you! This is the only way to free you from Bertrum's power! I will die with you! You will not go alone!"


	52. Lost Gaia?

**Amy**: Shut your face, Justine.

**Justine**: _pouts and crosses arms_

**Gaia**: Who's ready to "get this party started" as the saying goes? And I'm inclined to inform you that you will not be able to leave the room unless you participate.

**Amy**: And we can't just use _that _door...why? _points out large door with neon sign saying EXIT in flashing letters._

**Gaia**: You can't do that because you will suffer ten thousand bolts of electricity.

**Castille**: Huh. Then I will be happy to participate in your game of happy gayness.

**Gaia**: Awesome, guys! Let's form a circle...!

**Jake**: Why do I feel like I'm being baby-sat?

**Sarah**: Don't contradict him. Maybe he'll let us leave early.

I gaze down into the depths of Katie's eyes as I prepare to kill her, then commit suicide myself, so's to repent for my sin. 'Though I know this is what I need to do to free her—for I know of no other way—I am struggling to do so. So instead of blood raining upon one or the other, it is tears that do so now.

My tears drop onto Katie's face that gazes blankly up at me as if she had not a care in the world. Indeed, a small smile seemed to be trying to form, for the laugh lines around her eyes were twitching as if she were unable to do so.

**Virtual Katie**

I stopped dead in my tracks and stopped tantalizingly close to my own mind. I could hear its electronic activities going on after my travels that seemed like light years. I heard Bertrum and Amy going at it outside of myself and I deliberated; trying to decide whether or not I should attempt to destroy myself or watch one of us die through my own eyes. It was a hard choice.

'Though I regretted having to leave her behind, I hurried onward, into the depths of hell.

**Amy**

"I'M…_SORRY_!!" And I plunged my sword down.

It appeared to all happen so fast, as if I were dreaming. I could have sworn I was getting ready to kill my best friend, and yet, there stood, of all people, _Geoff_. He was sopping wet, hs clothes and armor water-logged, his sword gone, but it was him, none the less. His ponytail holder had snapped I assumed, and his hair fell in wet ringlets around his delicate features. His eyes seemed to be laced with anger.

Not so much the furious kind, but the more concerned kind. For Katie. It appeared he didn't even notice me, though he took the gentlest care with extracting me from her. I watched in a silence that is befitting for one that is seeing a secret tryst between lovers. For Geoffrey whispered Katie's name in a delicate voice which could not conceal the passion I knew to be there. He pulled her to his breast and embraced her and stroked her hair as if she were made of porcelain.

I now understood why she had asked me all those questions about loving someone, for here was the man I knew that did so. He indeed loved Katie with all his heart. I only hoped that I, someday, would be able to find something similar. It wrenched my heart to know that Geoff was not embracing the real Katie.

_'Oh my, God!' _I suddenly remembered that it was indeed, _not _Katie he held so tenderly. I reached forward and pulled Geoff from Katie's body. He protested, and I quickly explained—in a hushed voice—that she was being possessed. He seemed skeptical at first, but agreed readily enough a savage look crossed her gentle features.

"Oh, so you figured it out, eh? 'Least ways I have you in my sights, bandit leader!" She scoffed hatefully, jumping into a fighting crouch. Geoff shook his head in disgust and prepared himself as well.

**Virtual Katie**

I threw all of myself into this last race. Up ahead, there appeared to be a pulsating mass of gray matter. But it was surrounded by a black shroud; this I knew to be Bertrum's psychic hold on me. It got me to thinking.

What if I could destroy Bertrum's mind through this telepathic connection we now shared? It made me wonder as I came upon it at last. If I could follow this trail into _his _mind, then I may be able to break him. Other grim imaginings formulated as well, and none of them were pleasant: What would happen to my body when I severed the connection and followed it to wherever Bertrum's mind was? Would I die? How would my brain find its way back, if possible? I set my jaw and flung myself towards the mist.

It seemed almost life-like, the way it retaliated at me. It twisted into the shape of a fist and socked my miniscule body, sending me flying through air and crashing into the side of my skull. It appeared that I would be unable to get through so easily. I rubbed my hands together and made several more attempts, all of which cost me valuable energy, and none of which penetrated it.

I was getting aggravated. Not being able to get into my own mind? I mean, how utterly pathetic! This was stupid, even by my standards. I ground my teeth together and, subconsciously gathering as much chi as I could, propelled off the "wall" towards the mist. I gathered my speed and managed to send a spurt of my chi which created a tiny hole in Bertrum's barrier. I managed to whisk through, none too soon. The mist almost immediately afterwards closed behind me and I was trapped with no way out. I didn't want to take the chance of using my brain to thrust myself out with enough power and speed to break through the shield again.

I was now faced with my own brain. It oozed pus-like goo and throbbed and twitched with every thought Bertrum dragged from it, 'though here, strangely, I was unable to hear his thoughts. I flew around the edges of my brain until I found what I was looking for: a thin silver cord that snaked through my brain and out through the barrier of black mist. I assumed it was leading to Bertrum's brain, for if not, then I was in grave peril.

I fasted myself and imagined going invisible, like a gas. Doing so, I moved forward and grabbed a hold of the string with both of my hands. Without delay I was whisked away on a perilously fast journey that took me through my skull, skin, and hair. It passed by me in such a dizzying blur that I was close to throwing up if I didn't shut my eyes. But I did not do so, for the few precious seconds I spent in the air over the battle between my body and Amy and Geoff were special. I knew that they both were alive and was sated. I allowed myself to be dragged along pell-mell through walls and over heads. All too soon I was thrust upon a world I knew was not my own, for it was a dark and devious place.

I saw all of Bertrum's thoughts and dreams. They were laid before me like the horrible food at my school cafeteria; all within my grasp and would be mine if I so chose them to be. But I steered clear of them and perused my surroundings in search of the cord again.

_What the hell do you think you're doing, you horribly annoying prat?! _Bertrum screamed at me. It appeared that he was aware of my presence. But no matter. Now that I was here, there was going to be no way for him to shake free of me. I looked up and followed the glowing silver cord to Bertrum's brain. It was surprisingly small. I shoulda guessed as much.

I observed how it was connected to Bertrum and saw it was through the cerebral cortex. (**RAC: **That _is _a part of the brain, right? ;;) I poked the edges surrounding the attached area and felt it surprisingly warm and squishy. I gagged and made various tugs on it to see if it would break. The string wavered and moved easily at my lightest breath proving that this sort of mental connection could be easily broken by a mind invader.

I gazed long and hard between the cord that I knew connected me and Bertrum, trying to decide if I could make such a hard decision. Risk my own life, or kill Bertrum? And at once, I knew; I remembered an old quote Amy had told me long ago: _'Greater love has no one man this; that he lay down his life for his friends'_. I would sacrifice myself for my friends, for I had made them suffer enough as it was. If it would bring them salvation, then so be it. I squeezed my eyes tight so hard I felt my eyeballs being pushed back in my head. I took a deep breath and rammed into Bertrum's brain.

Oddly, the soft folds enveloped my ghostly body and made me a part of them. Soon I was encased in their wet, gooey grasp. I felt my spiritual lungs gasp for air, then burst. My eyeballs popped out and blood painted the brain and yet I could still see. My bones cracked and splintered and ripped out of my flesh so that I could see a vaporous version of my legs bending backwards over my head. And then all was dark.

**The Others**

It had been a couple of hours, they guessed, since they had left Amy the grim task of fighting me. Though they hadn't gone far, their energy supplies had burned up fast and they were exhausted. Hanna, who had been practically carrying Gaia away from the site was now drenched in Clavatian blood. It dripped down one side and stained all along it. Too tired to continue, they collapsed in a giant circle and lay against both walls of a dark hall.

Hanna gently placed Gaia down and watched him breathe shallow, ragged breaths. Everyone knew that a stomach wound was almost always impossible to heal. And in these conditions, with no way to stabilize Gaia in his condition, he would die a slow and painful death, clutching his stomach so his entrails wouldn't fall out; a cruel twist of fate, but one that they could not alter. It would be best to let the poor soul die lieing down.

Sarah crawled over and looked blankly into the twisted expression of Gaia as his skin blanched another shade and he began to shake and quiver. Almost instinctively, the others gathered within seeing distance of the guy so that he would know he would know he wasn't alone as he died. They grieved their own losses as he took a last, shuddering breath, sweat pouring from him, and then passed on.

It was an extremely sad moment. 'Though Gaia had been an obnoxious bastard, he had been a lovable guy; hard to hate and easy to love. How long would it take, they wondered, for their hearts to ease? Tears ran down every cheek, but sobs were kept silent. It was then that Sarah decided to bring up a rather remarkable topic:

"You guys…I think we can use it now…," she uttered, no louder than a whisper.

Everyone turned to stare at her with sad, listless eyes. What could Sarah do now?

**RAC: **OMG!! Who wants to hear the reason of why I made my poor readers wait TWO WHOLE DAYS for the next update...? (I'm really happy b/c with the publication of chapter 51, I broke 1000 reads! You guys are amazing! I love ya'll!) Well, I had to work at the stupid color guard invitational competition at my high school (you fail the class otherwise.) Colorguard are groups of boys and girls in oddly-colored outfits who twirl these cool flags and shit. It's totally cool. But I had to work ticket sales for EIGHT HOURS right outside the doors, so I hardly got to see a single competition. YY My school made it to state though! Another bad thing is that b/c 31 (yeah, that's just a hint at how many freaking chicks and dudes there were on a Saturday at MY school!!) schools weren't able to make it b/c of the bad weather, so we're holding ANOTHER competition on Saturday, so I may or may not make it again. I might post it on Friday if I find the chance...or remember. Yeah, I pretty much suck at remembering things, don't I:sweatdrop: LoL.

Alsoooo, I've got a hot new Asian BF, whose picture I might post in my profile, so check it out. (He's also another reason why I may not make it on Saturday. :hinthintwink: See ya!


	53. Back With You

_Everyone walks towards the center of the room, but instead of a circle being formed, all the characters mingled, the villains formed one short line and the heroes did the same, facing them. Castille glares at Jakob, and Katie and Justine do the same. Sarah looked at Gaia nervously._

**Hanna: **So much for that circle.

**Amy: **I hear you.

**Gaia: **Let 's start! Who wants to volunteer?

_All's quiet as nobody wants to do this. Everyone thought vaguely of who would make who do if they were dared and such. Truth would force the person not to lie, and a dare could bring any possibility..._

**Amy: **I'm first!

**Everyone: **_look oddly at her_

**Amy: **I choose Geoffrey!

**Geoff: **Shit.

"I….I brought the Phoenix Down with me. I think we can…use it,"

Too shocked to snarl hurtful words, my friends settled for glares which had absolutely no effect on Sarah whatsoever. She continued on in her soft, delicate voice.

"If you'll let me through, Jake…"

"Why didn't you use it before? You let Gaia go through this agonizing death without even the _hope _of returning? What kind of human are you? That was just plain _cruel!_" Jake snarled, his face clouded and hidden beneath his sweeping bangs. Sarah seemed to be losing patience. She heaved in an incredible sigh and exhaled.

"Dammit, Jake. The longer you make me wait, the less amount of time Gaia has before the Phoenix Down won't work on him anymore," She said all of this in a very calm manner, as if discussing it over afternoon tea. Gaia, struck dumb by her calmness, scooted away and allowed Sarah room enough to sit in front of Gaia's corpse.

She opened one of the small boxes; instantly releasing the feather's glow upon them all. It seemed even more beautiful as they gazed upon it, for it held hope that Gaia would come back safe, and unharmed otherwise. Sarah delicately lifted the shining plume out of its satin lining and began to dust it over Gaia's features, making sure some of the precious dust went into his blood-leaking mouth and up his nose; over his eyes and into his palms the powder went, until Gaia's entire body seemed to glow with an ethereal light.

They all gasped as Gaia began to shake and shiver as if with convulsions. These movements continued for a minute or two until he stopped moving again all together. Momo let out an anguished cry, having thought he had died again, but it was not so. Sarah placed her ear over Gaia's mouth and felt a very soft breath coming from him. It was a joyous moment. Everyone let out whoops of happiness at Gaia's rebirth and of Sarah's genius in bringing the Phoenix Down along.

"Wait…does that mean that you _knew _one of us was going to die?" Jakob asked skeptically, eyeing Sarah with an odd look on his handsome face. Sarah looked sort of sheepish and avoided his question. She crouched over Gaia who was now looking around in amazement as if he couldn't believe he was alive…_again. _

Momo stroked his brow and bent over him, whispering words in his ears until he went limp again and fell back into a stupor.

"I whispered sweet words so he would dream dreamless dreams," she said to no one and shrugged nonchalantly as if that didn't sound corny at all. They all sighed and stood up simultaneously.

"Shall we go and see how they fared?" Hanna asked. Everyone nodded and wound their way back towards the site that they'd left me and Amy at.

**Amy and Geoff**

Bertrum knew something was up. He could no longer feel my spirit-body flitting annoyingly around inside his mind. Though this didn't quite worry him, it was going to be something notable in case it would come in handy later. But for the moment, he pushed it, ironically, into the back of his mind and dashed forward.

"Attack him!" I shouted, leaping forward, my sword flashing with clear and deadly intent.

"Dodge!" Geoff cried when Bertrum made a sudden lunge towards me and missed my head by inches when I dropped and rolled beneath his leaping feet. I flashed out a hand, intent on tripping him up, but the bastard sidestepped and landed a blow on my collarbone. I cringed as blood spurted out, but jumped up to avoid his crushing blows. Geoff crouched, snarling, and pounced on Bertrum's back. Bertrum arched himself and whirled, almost slashing up his own back when Geoff disentangled himself and jumped off.

"What do you expect to gain by doing this?" I asked angrily.

"Feh. If you want to gain power, and thus the women you desire, you must take it all—with _every fiber of your being._" Bertrum answered instantly, in Katie's voice. I scoffed.

"You speak as if you know what you want!" Geoff replied in a light tone.

"I _am _committed after all!"

A powerful blow jerked the Clavat suddenly back towards the shadows of the passage. His feet skidded out from underneath him in his surprise from the sudden, unexpected attack from this unseen force. Gaia's massive hands held him to the ground and his blue eyes blazed with a furious fire.

"You are such a horrible fighter, you bastard! Don't you know you're supposed to _watch your back?_" He spat in a horrible voice that was raspy with hatred and murderous intent.

Bertrum was still winded, but he used his now-empty arms and legs to scrabble fruitlessly at the youth's stomach. Gaia laughed heartily as the others emerged from the shadows looking content to merely watch…for now. Gaia's sword flashed out, aiming for an ear to slice off, but Bertrum knocked Gaia's elbow out and jumped to his feet. He rammed Gaia, until he staggered, then attacked him again, having retrieved his weapon, teeth bared. Gaia danced o the side and took a step back.

This fight was fiercer than the last time they'd fought. I could tell. The wound on my shoulder was trickling blood, and Hanna rushed over to treat it, bringing with her a potion which she poured into the wound. I remembered them only vaguely having been stored in one of our medicine bags from the mountains.

"You should be faster!" Gaia taunted, always staying just out of reach of Bertrum's furious strikes. I could stand silent no longer and leapt between them and scoured my blade down the side of Katie's body. Bertrum let out a shriek and collapsed as a torrent of blood burst forth and instantly began to wet the side of Katie's clothes. He crumpled and I stood above him. I was out of breath, and Gaia—along with everyone else—seemed too stunned to speak. They hadn't actually thought I would just _attack _my friend like that. But I knew it had to be done, and there was no taking it back. I shook off the droplets of blood and turned to the group sheltered in the shadows.

"There's nothing more to be done here. Let him go to Hell, where the bastard belongs…!" I whispered hoarsely. I tried storming past them, with atleast some of my composure and dignity. But it appeared not to be so. Just as I shouldered past Sarah and Geoff, both staring disbelievingly at Bertrum's twitching body, hands reached out and grabbed my shoulders. I jumped about ten feet in the air. Dammit. They must've seen that _one single tear _that had managed to dribble out of the corner of my eye. I began to thrash, the sobs threatening to break over like Hurricane Katrina on the shores of New Orleans.

"No! No!! I don't wanna hear it! Don't gimme your crap! _I don't need anyone anymore!_" I howled, the depths of my misery seeming to come up and engulf me in their warm and welcome embrace. I collapsed to pure silence and in the arms of a man I didn't know.

**Katie's POV, Not Virtual Anymore…**

Death. I had thought immediately of Hell when I felt the intense heat, like fire; engulf my breaking body as I was being sucked into Bertrum's mind. I had thought I had been utterly destroyed then, but it was clearly not so. I was simply in another black room. I tried walking forward but found myself unable to do so. I appeared to be rooted to one spot and surrounded by thin walls. A red sort of light slightly penetrated them.

It was then I realized I was breathing. Only just. A sudden explosion of pain along my right side jolted me and I opened my eyes a fraction of an inch. Ha…So I was back in my own body, eh? Bertrum must've shoved me back to my body when he thought he was going to die. The cowardly wretch.

I tried to move my body and found I was unable to do so. Oh…So Bertrum had gotten into a spot of trouble with my friends and they had destroyed my body in order to defeat him. I didn't blame them at all. If I was to die, it would be a silent one; a death that they thought would be with Bertrum's conscience inside me. I relaxed my muscles, only to feel a pressure at my throat. Involuntarily, I gasped and my eyes opened.

Sarah's fingers were checking for my pulse; checking to see if I was alive. She held to her chest two remaining boxes of Phoenix Down.

_'So what happened to the other one? Who else was sacrificed for my sake?' _I wondered silently as my eyes blurred, only to refocus again on Sarah's face, intent and screwed up in concentration as she peered into my eyes. She snapped her fingers and a tiny flame of her chi appeared on the tips of her forefingers. I was blinded momentarily as she waved them in front of me. I followed them and heard her call out to the others who appeared behind and beside and around me and her, pressing their hands on me as if unable to believe I was still breathing.

My side heaved under pressure, but I rolled my eyes up and saw Amy, cradled in Jakob's arms and gasped again.

_'Don't tell me it was her!' _I thought desperately, my gasps of air rushing in and out hurriedly in a panic. Geoff placed a hand on my forehead and smiled pleasantly. It was odd. There was something funny glimmering in the depths of his eyes. I seemed to be getting lost and swooned as much as a person on the brink of death could while laying down when he bent forward and kissed my forehead tenderly. His lips were so soft….But this thought brought back an uncomfortable memory of Jake's and I groaned.

Hanna pushed the others out of the way and bent down in front of me, holding a glittery potion in a bottle in front of her. I noticed everything seemed to be muted. I couldn't hear what anyone said. Hanna tipped the liquid into my mouth. It tasted like liquified candy corn or something. It was weird. I can't really describe the taste, even to this day. But the potion dribbled back into my mouth and I swallowed.

Soon, the burning fire on my side seemed to be cooling. The wounds were disappearing and my strength was returning. My breath returned to normal and I sat up as if nothing had happened. But the sadness lingered. My hair, now long and tangled from neglect, swung around my face as I whirled to look at those of my friends. I could tell I had hurt them. And caused them so much worry and neglect. I did not deserve to have them. But I knew I had to forgive myself for these petty problems. All that mattered was that we were all alive and stronger because of it.

**RAC: **As I predicted, my weekend was lovely, and I couldn't update yeasterday. XD I'm sorry. This won't be a habit, I promise! But in the brighter side of things, my bf gave me his first kiss. He's so sweet. _swoon_


	54. Dancing Light

**Katie**: _snickering_

**Sarah**: Good luck, Geoff.

**Jakob**: This ought to be interesting.

**Momo**: I hope it's funny.**Nich**: Let's watch and see.

**Amy**: Truth or dare?

**Geoff**: Dare.

**Amy**: Alright then! I dare you to…

"Let's go home…," I whispered softly, standing up and heading off in a random direction. It hurt my heart to hear no cry of complaint. Only footfalls as the others followed me, without a doubt, still as their leader. We shuffled through the corridors until Momo rushed forward and snaked her fingers through my own. I looked down into her round little face, so full of anxiety over whether or not I was going to be OK, and smiled. She has this effect on people, Momo. It's odd.

"Is Kitty going to be all right?" she asked me softly, making me stop. She hugged me and I wrapped my arms around her, trying so hard not to break down. The questions began to flow from everyone at once, and there was nowhere I could hide. I slumped my shoulders and gestured to a door that had been blasted off one hinge in a battle sometime before. We entered and sat amongst the scattered benches and opened floor space, with me in the center. 

"So what do you want to know?" I asked wearily, blinking at them meekly. 

"Tell us what's wrong with you!" 

The unexpected fierce comment came from Amy who had woken up and gotten away from Jakob. She walked towards me on unsteady legs, tracks of tears shining on her round cheeks. She fell on her knees in front of me with a sickening crack that made me wonder if she hadn't broken both caps. She didn't seem to notice. I was unable to meet Amy's furious, electric blue gaze. Her voice raised another octave as she said to me, 

"You promised me we would stay here! You said you had a new home here. You told me you would _give your life _to protect it! Now, I've known you…known you _for so damn long_ that they way you are acting now…!! It disgusts me to see you get so down after every battle! Katie, you knew what you were getting yourself into the moment you promised me all those things. The person you were before you came here…I know you would've handled this differently! You would've kept smiling and laughing—no matter how annoying or how depressing things got! You wouldn't be letting us down like you are now! You're not as strong as you once were, Kate, and frankly, I miss that prat I used to get so hung up on every day. 

"_'Oh, what kind of trouble will she get into today?' _I used to wonder. I was always so worried about you. I wanted to see you grow into the kind of person that could learn to stand on her own two feet, and yet here you still are, depending on me! You cry over me! I can't stand it anymore! We're getting ready to enter high school! Hell, judging by these times, we _are _in high school now! You've got to learn that yes, I am always going to be here for you, but I do not want you risking your life for me! We're supposed to be mature, can't you see that? 

"Now show me what you're capable of. Show me you are able to take care of yourself; that you won't let your woes drag you down into the depths of despair. Show me…that you can let me go if the time comes…," Amy's fervent little speech shocked everyone. They hadn't expected such harsh words to come forth, from her lips to my ears. I flinched away from her and cradled my head in my hands. I shook my head, but was unable to cry anymore. 

So she'd finally voiced my fears: That we had truly begun to separate from each other and go down our separate paths, despite the fact we were in such close proximity with one another. 

A low, guttural growl escaped Jakob's lips. He was sitting on top of a table, with one leg pulled up; on top of which rested an elbow whose hand held his chin. He was eyeing Amy with something bordering worshipful. They seemed to hold the kind of respect a person held for their parents when they were little and didn't know anything better. It seemed to me as if he knew something that I did not. 

He must've sensed that Amy was trying to distance herself from me before it was too late. He must've known that this time was going to come up sooner or later; or that a time much worse than this, a time that would tear us apart forever when we had no healing items, seemed to stalk us, ever watchful, from the shadows; and that Amy was merely trying to do her best to start the necessary separation that would be necessary when the time came. He leapt down from the table and settled between the two of us. He turned to Amy and said blankly, 

"I know what you are trying to do, and I wish to ask one who is so close to her as you, for your permission on a matter." 

"Go ahead." Amy told him. 

"I want to ask you to pass Katie into the care of those who will take your place should you be forced to leave this world." 

I gasped. All feeling drained from my body as I took in what Amy was willing to sacrifice for me. Unwillingly, my mind flashed back to visions of the past, of before we'd entered middle school, and we were the closest friends could be. It was sixth grade, and I had begun to have these feelings of doubt in my heart. Of her leaving me in her wake as she continued to shine like a star and I fell forever short of her glory. I clung to her even way back then, and now I was afraid to let her go… 

I was sitting in my closet, with our memory book we'd made, with every sixth grader's signature on the cover written in gold ink. I cradled it to my chest and sobbed, knowing that some day I would have to leave behind all these people I had befriended over the years. Their paths would veer away from mine when we entered this new school, and petty cliques would raise barriers between us and section us off into packs that would come to hate each other. 

I didn't want this for me and Amy. I wanted us to stay best friends forever. Damn the fact she wanted to be a pediatrician and me an architect! She was dearer to me than my own family. I flashed back to the last few moments of my elementary life and recalled the fondest moment I doubted Amy remembered: 

The whole sixth grade was waiting anxiously inside their classrooms, counting down the last five minutes of school, and Amy turned to me with hope dazzling her eyes. 

"Oh, Kate! I wanted to tell you something before we left. That time when I had to go for a while, remember? Well, when you waited for me, it made me feel so amazing, I don't know how to say it! I wanted to tell you the same; that I'll always be here when you need me, no matter what. We're going to be best friends forever, right? So let's make that through our middle school years too. Promise me you'll wait for me, Kate. Tell me you will…!" 

And I came back to the present. 

Amy was smiling a smile that lit up her whole face so that it shined. Her heart was no longer breaking; no longer afraid that by starting the cracks in our friendship, I would break. She nodded a simple nod and clapped Jakob and I on our shoulders. 

"I give her to you, knowing that you will all take the best of care of her when I cannot," Amy told the room at large. She stood up and swished around in an elegant circle, taking the whole of us in. She flashed us with a smile and asked, "Why are we just standing here? We've still gotta make sure Margaret's OK!" 

"Oh shit!" Sarah exclaimed. She jumped up and ran out of the room just as a shadow flickered past. 

"Huh? What the hell? Sarah, where're you going?" Momo asked, rushing after her. 

_"He's here!" _Sarah snarled under her breath, poking her head back into the room long enough to whisper her urgent message. The others were shocked. 

"'He'? He who?" Gaia asked angrily. 

_"That bastard Castille!" _Momo answered. 

Instantly, those who had been trapped in the cell by this Selkish man jumped up, hands tightening on blood-stained weapons. 

"Let's get him!" Jakob whisper-yelled fervently, sending dust flying into the air with his hyper steps, eager to get after the Selkie that had been missing for some time, having gone unnoticed by everyone before. He disappeared after Momo and like shadows, the others followed suit and gathered silently in the shadows outside the door. They peered eagerly down both ways as if hoping Castille would jump out and sacrifice himself without a fight. 

"If he impaled himself on my sword, that wouldn't be so bad either!" Gaia muttered mutinously. 

There was a slight shuffling noise to my right, and since I was on the end of the line on the right side of the hall, I was the first to see a glimmer of something far away. 

"Look at that," I whispered to Sarah, jabbing her with my sword and gesturing towards it. The light had begun to spout off tiny sparks; it was bobbing around in a figure eight. I found it very tempting and wanted to ask before I made a stupid move and went after it myself. 

"Maybe it's a trap. Like, what if Castille's trying to lure Katie there on her own or something? It'd be _sooo_ like her to go after a sparkly, moving object…," Geoffrey's suggestion sputtered out when I caught his gaze with a death glare. He waved sheepishly and pushed Hanna onto his left so that he was at the end of the row on the left side of the passage. 

Sarah nodded thoughtfully. "No. It could be for any of us. After all, we all like shiny objects, right?" Sarah asked the Earth people thoughtfully. There were fervent nods from all but Amy, who just shook her head sadly. "Let's go! It's disappearing. No lights!" 


	55. The End of the Road

**Katie**: Welcome back!

**Audience**: _claps and stomps around annoyingly_

**Momo**: Settle down you debased idiots.

**Audience**: _gasps, all offended_

**Katie**: Oh, don't get your panties in a wad. You're gonna hear _much _worse later on in the story!

**Audience**: _stares, wide-eyed_

**Katie**: Non-humorous jerks.

**Audience**: laugh

She pushed me in front of her, silently saying that I was leader again, and my friends fanned out behind me, like a flock of geese heading south. Momo and Geoff were on the ends and walking sideways; keeping watch to make sure Castille didn't come up behind us. I should've thought of that!

I lead the group swiftly through the darkness, and only tripped over one stone the size of a penny. But I didn't fall, so our sneaking was relatively effective as we went along.

"How far away is the damn thing?" Amy asked huffily from behind me.

I whirled around, bumping into Sarah who I knew glared at me. "Screw it! We're running. Come on." As soon as I'd righted myself, I bolted towards the light which was beginning to fizzle out. Unknowingly, Castille slunk out from a room and began creeping towards Momo who abandoned her post as a back look-out. Reaching behind him he pulled out a blade that shone ever so slightly as he built up his chi for some unknown attack. Reaching striking distance and still unnoticed, Castille raised the dagger into the air and quickly thrust it down on her as she twisted, her eyes just able to see it coming down. A scream echoed through the fortress, alerting me and Sarah; we turned around hastily. Looking to where the scream had come from we saw, to our dismay, Jakob blocking the attack with his sword. Momo was below him, a look of fear in her face.

Jakob looked at the rest of us from the corner of his eyes. "Stop staring and help!" he shouted, pushing the dagger back and throwing a punch at Castille's muscly figure.  
Dodging the punch the person jumped back, sheathing the dagger to her side.

Hanna was the first to make the move as she disappeared when Castille's chi vanished, making it go dark. Hanna concentrated, trying hard to focus on where he had gone and where they would be attacked. Hearing the wind pass behind her she quickly spun around and blocked the attack as it hit her sword. "Good move, but you'll have to do better to beat me," Hanna told him, enjoying the fight.

"Then show me what you have to offer," the Selkie replied, a grin spreading over his lips as his eyes grew colder. Hanna pushed him back once more and charged, swinging the blade to her side. Castille jumped over the blade and landed behind her, swinging it to her side as well, but she dodged it, sliding to the side as dirt was thrown up. Leaping towards me Castille threw the dagger at her and Hanna deflected it. But as she did so Geoffrey caught it and brought the blade down on her shoulder, piercing it sharply. Castille pushed him back, cutting his side a bit.

Geoffrey looked at Castille as he held his bleeding shoulder. His hand began to cover the blood slowly, bit by bit. He cocked an eyebrow suspiciously and backed up, signaling with a sweep of his hand that we should back off. Castille's hand was beginning to glow a dull grey as he gathered chi.

"Wave bomb!" he cried, dropping to one knee and making his arms sweep out in front of him. All of us were hit hard by his unexpected attack and collapsed, dripping heavily with blood. I staggered to my feet and shot Castille a look of hatred. I stumbled and fell to the ground. Reaching up to touch my neck, I felt the scratches reopening beneath my touch; the skin stretching and tearing, the strips of flesh breaking apart, almost like…well….I don't rightfully know. But I glared at the Selkie none the less, and began to summon my chi so that he wouldn't notice. It was a hard task as it was bright pink. I instantly cursed myself.

Gaia managed to get to his feet and stay there, leaning on the wall as Castille got up and crossed his arms triumphantly. As if he would be able to overcome us so easily! I snarled as a few others got up to join Gaia in the final battle with Castille.

Then came the gloating. "Ha! You fools are so pathetic! I was able to trick you a number of times. And you never suspected me! I can't believe you! Hahaha!"

I was suspicious of you, dumbass!" Gaia spat fervently, raising his hand sarcastically. Castille chuckled some more and shook his head.

"You see, no one has realized I was on no one side! I killed Justine too! GOD was she an easy target…!"

As Castille laughed evilly to himself, I felt my eyes widen. So the harpy had gotten herself killed, eh? Oh well. No use crying over spilt blood. Besides, it sure as hell saved us the trouble of having to find her hide-out and killing her too. I cackled from my position on the floor and shook with mirth.

"What the hell's your problem, freak?" Castille asked coldly, giving me a 'WTF' look.

"I…just wanted to thank you…Castille!" I replied, pushing myself onto my knees. I coughed and blood painted the ground in front of me. I felt my throat being overrun in a sea of blood and shook again with laughter. I bowed to him and grabbed at a crack in the wall. Using it, I lifted myself unsteadily to my legs, keeping the fist surrounded in my chi behind me.

"You're such a waste of time, Katie. You were the easiest of all!" Castille scoffed. He turned his gaze to the others that faced a more promising challenge; bloodied and battered though they may have been. He scanned them with a piercing gaze and focused mostly on Sarah who stood in the middle of the hall with her hands bunched into fists at her sides like an old cowboy set to face off with an enemy in the middle of a deserted street. "So you wish to die first?" Castille asked silkily, dropping to one knee and bringing a hand behind his head.

"Feh. You shall not win, you bastard. We are a united force. Now come, my friends! Take strength in knowing I am here for you all. I will let none of you die! Now rise! Forget your pain and join me!"

Sarah's confident words reached me and gave me the strength I needed to walk straight to her and link hands. Amy was next to me and Hanna on the end. She reached out and grabbed the wall fiercely. Jakob, Geoffrey, Momo, and Gaia were on Sarah's other side, but linked arms instead. Geoff still grasped the wall next to him with fierce strength.

"All right then, filth! Wave bomb!!"

But this time around, as chi sharp as knives washed over us and we received fresh gashes over our tender ones, we managed to hold on and stay upright. The wave of chi vanished into the darkness, ripping stones from the surrounding passage into gravel. All my friends were standing upright and looking fierce. Castille looked taken aback and took a step back as if thinking he may not be able to defeat such a united force.

"That's right you chicken! You will not be able to defeat us!" I gripped Amy's hand and glared at Castille. He shook his head and came back, giggling.

"So you are able to withstand my strongest move. Big deal. Even as outnumbered as I am, I will still be able to beat you guys. Easy!" But his words were hollow and laced with doubt. He made a gesture with his fingers; the typical goading sign. I let loose a cry of rage and ran forward; raising my sword and letting loose a Soul Shot that blasted the Selkie of his feet.

"Nice job, Katie!" Hanna chirped, throwing a potion down the line; Geoff caught it, took a sip and passed it on. Miraculously, his scratches were healed and the flow of blood stopped. I couldn't wait 'til I got my hands on that! Until then, I would have to satisfy myself with slashing as much of Castille as I could get to ribbons.

In our haste to destroy him, I was shoved to the back of the jostling bunch where only Castille's cries of surprise and pain reached me. There was the sickening sound of a blade piercing flesh and I cringed. Gaia cried out victoriously and I assumed that it had been him who had killed the Selkie.

My friends began to disband and fall into an exhausted heap where they stood. I caught a glimpse of intestine trailing on the ground and looked quickly away, catching Gaia's attention and silently congratulating him He beamed appreciatively and gave me the thumbs up. There was a nagging question at the back of my mind and I gestured that I needed everyone's opinion on this. They looked at me, smirks hinting at the corners of their mouths.

"Since…Bertrum, Justine, and Castille are…dead. Does this mean that Margaret's not in trouble anymore?" I asked them, pursing my lips and putting my head to one side. Jakob blanched and jumped up.

"OH MY GOD!" He shrieked. He tugged at his hair and looked around frantically. He stomped his foot and disappeared down the left passage with no thought to where he was going, only intent on rescuing his aunt from assassination.

"What the hell…?" Geoffrey murmured worriedly, glancing at Amy beside him and twirling his finger by his ear. Amy snickered and pulled herself up. She grabbed his hand and helped him leap to his feet. She sighed and bowed to me, saying that I was leader and we should go after him. I grinned and got up as well. I looked in both directions, scratched my cheek and giggled nervously.

"Sooo…does anyone know how to get out of here…?" I asked. There was a collective groan.

We traveled lightly this time around. Knowing that we had been saved the trouble of killing Justine brought joy to our hearts and we cracked many jokes even in the darkest parts of the hide-out. It felt like nothing had changed and we had just started our travels. I tripped on seemingly nothing almost every second of the time and ended up getting carried by—DUN DA DUN—Gaia who took great pleasure in swinging me up over his shoulder like some sacrifice and parading around all manly and such. Geoff knocked the flirtatious Clavat on his chin with a fist and smirked in my face.

"You look good like that, Kate!" Amy told me, grinning evilly. I flailed desperately at everyone and went limp, resigned to my fate.


	56. Celebration Milk?

_Everyone is interrupted suddenly by a loud, shocking scream. A door slams and they look toward it to see that Gaia had been stupid enough to go over and let in Mackentosh who'd knocked a moment ago. Both are crisped. _

**Unison  
Geoff**: Oh great. It's him. _sarcasm_  
**Katie**: Oh great. It's her. _sarcasm_  
**End Unison**

**Gaia**: What's that supposed to mean? I was just trying to be polite! _does Nich's signature arm-crossing thing_

**Geoff**: Exactly what it sounds like you womanizing slut.

**Gaia**: _angry vein_ Shut your mouth!

**Geoff**: _angry vein_ Make me!

**Mackentosh**: _rolls eyes and takes a seat beside Momo_

Half the time we could hear Jakob's angry yells and see him dart in front of us in another direction. He was like a blood hound for us; sniffing out the dead ends before we could find them so we wouldn't take the wrong direction and have to double back. We would wave at him and smile and laugh hysterically when he'd pass through us. Our group traversed fallen stones, collapsed walls, and caved-in floors along the way out. After finding a ladder down into the sewers, Gaia dropped me and we all went down. Geoff, having gotten to know the route very well by now, took up the lead. He told us we had to swim across a stretch of filthy water which none of us were too excited about, but which he promised would lead us out quicker than if we kept following the dog's nose. Geoff got smacked which resulted in Jakob getting shoved into the water first. The prince flopped around uselessly for a second before getting his bearing and treading water. We all rolled with laughter.

"Come on, idiots!" The prince snapped angrily.

So we all jumped in—however unwillingly—and swam the paths of who knew what kind of disease-ridden matter for about 20 minutes until Geoff jumped out.

"I don't see how you did it, Jakob!" Hanna panted, her legs having trouble finding a hold on the mossy sides of stone. I hauled her out along with Momo and looked curiously at the bandit.

"I fell in and was lost before I found you and Amy, Kate," Geoff explained. Huh. I realized that someone other than Amy began calling me by my name.

"You know…no one other than Amy calls me Kate," I told him, thumping him on the nose with my thumb. He bared his teeth at me and I backed off, whimpering.

Geoffrey lead us through the confusing and moldy halls of the underground sewers until we came to a rusted old ladder protruding from a rounded off dead-end.

"Doesn't that just look inviting, guys?" Geoff asked us all chipperly. I stuck my tongue out at him and grasped a rung tightly.

"Where's this go anyway?" I asked.

"Palace room," Jake said, shrugging. I began to climb. I shoved the moveable tile away with my shoulder and pulled myself into the room. I was immediately absorbed by something gold and glittery in a corner and ran over to it. It was a golden bracelet and among it were several rings and what looked like glowing scarves and arm guards.

"Hey, you guys!" I called, gesturing them over. They gathered around me and looked over my shoulder into the glistening pile of jewels I held.

"We could sell these…!" Gaia whispered eagerly, rubbing his hands together eagerly. He laughed evilly and grabbed the bag over Hanna's shoulder. He began shoving the things into the bag randomly, chuckling. The rest of us backed off and let him gather desirables from the room before heading out again.

"Last time we were here, we went this way…," Hanna pointed to her left and so we took the right.

It was some time before we managed to find our way back to the meeting room and its huge round table. We crossed it thankfully, avoiding some blown up parts, and went into the dark storage area that had several gaping holes in its side. I saw several of the others smirk knowingly and peer up the slope that would let us out. While they discussed ways to get out, I sighed, pulled two daggers from two random people and began to hack my way up; digging a dagger into the soil, then using the other to pull myself up. Sarah smiled appreciatively and followed suit, using her dagger and sword.

"I'll throw these back down when I get up, so stay back!" I warned before I turned up and couldn't see anyone anymore. There were the grunts of the few of us that had taken and/or used our own daggers as we made pain-staking advances. I used a dagger to wedge between the door and lifted it up high enough so my fingers could get a purchase. I grunted and flipped the door open entirely emerging into a cool, star less night. I sucked in gulps of fresh air and turned around to get the others out as well. I yelled below for the others to watch out and tossed the daggers into the abyss. I heard them clunk against the ground and collapsed into a quivering heap.

"Oh my GOD that hurt!"

I scrunched up my eyes and wiped away the layers of sweat that laced my brow. My arms felt like limp noodles and my neck like a heavy log lay across it. I giggled at nothing and rolled over, grasping at sleep that I needed so desperately.

There was nothing to do now but wait.

Softness was caressing my body. I didn't want to open my eyes and come to face reality so soon after finding darkness. I groaned and rubbed my sore throat. Almost instantly afterwards, soft hands pulled mine away and dabbed at the scratches with a cool washcloth. I sighed contentedly and smiled, my eyes still closed. I grabbed a downy blanket and pulled it up to my chin, snuggling under the covers and disappearing into slumber once again.

When I next woke up, I was in my room at the in again. It was really disorienting at first and I leapt up, only to grab at various bruises that covered my body. I lay back down on the bed and thought for a moment before realizing that I had no clue how I got back here. I settled with the fact that someone must have carried me. I realized Momo was beside me and got quietly out of bed. I was in a fresh nightgown and thought worriedly about who had changed me.

'If it was Margaret, that's fine. At least I'm clean now!'

I tiptoed out the doorway, careful not to disturb the others, and walked down the halls. I could hear the sounds of laughter and merriment of folks enjoying a meal. I sighed with relief; it certainly didn't sound like Margaret had been killed. I put a huge smile on my face and rounded the bend, taking in the smells of soup and freshly baked bread. I laughed loudly and bounced over to the table in the center of the room where Gaia was hanging out with his Clavatian buds. I slapped him a high five and stole his drink.

"Hey, how long've I been asleep anyway?" I asked him curiously. Gaia leaned in conspiratorially and whispered softly,

"Ten days!"

I gasped and thwacked him on the head, much to the enjoyment of the rest of the group who called for more. I assumed they were drunk or something, because it was dark out and their cheeks were rosy, their eyes sparkling. Gaia growled and replied that our entire group, after having dragged ourselves through the town and back to the inn, slept for three days. But not before having explained to Margaret everything had happened.

"So we missed the festival?" I whimpered. "I was looking forward to that so much too!"

Gaia chuckled and ruffled my bed-head. "There's still time, Katie. The festival's a week-long event. Perhaps Margaret forgot to tell you?"

I grinned hugely, making dimples appear in the corners of my mouth. I laughed uproariously, gulped down the rest of whatever it was Gaia had been drinking and joined Nadia who had jumped up and began doing a random jig to the beat of the instruments.

The rest of the citizens in the inn cast our loud group disgusted looks and either left or went to their rooms. This only made me laugh and link arms with Nadia and begin to spin fast. I knew this would end up badly, as most other things I did spontaneously did, but decided I didn't care. I was having fun for who knew how long!

"Gaia! Did you ever figure out how long we were in that tunnel thingie?" I asked, jumping up on a table and shaking my hips with a couple of random Clavats.

"We were there for 3 days as well, Katie. It was weird, no?" he replied, jumping on the table with me.

It was when I looked up into his eyes that I realized I was drunk. He was so close, dancing with me, his hands on my hips, that there appeared to be two of him. I giggled and told him this. He shrugged it off as me being only a little bit tipsy.

"What were you drinking anyway?"

"Spiked milk of course. It's my fave!" Gaia chirped, twirling me around which caused a couple Clavats to topple off the table ungracefully. I laughed at his stupidity and began whirling by myself. The room seemed to be spinning and I vaguely wondered where everyone was at. Margaret was chatting with a Lilty who, apparently, had some complaints about the loud Clavats. I smirked and let out a roar of laughter. Man, who knew milk could've been so good?!

"Katie! I forgot to tell you something important!" Gaia grabbed my wrist and I fell to the floor, grinning insanely up at him. I told him to go on and he said that he had gone to Johavsven's shop and explained—not in too great of detail—about why we hadn't come by, and he said that we would be starting our jobs…tomorrow.

I gaped like a fish, aghast. I had forgotten all about that! I immediately grabbed another goblet of some random Clavat and chugged it. I had been hoping to get a glass of water or something, but only got another glass of spiked whatever. The room seemed to tilt as I made for the stairs, waving good night to the others in the room. They waved me back, but I told them I needed my rest. I was going to have one helluva hang over in the morning!

They smiled, threw empty cups at me and whispered some things to Gaia who marched over to me, his own cheeks now the color of a blazing sunset and planted a drunken kiss that landed half-on half-off of my mouth. I gurgled stupidly and fell face-first on the stairs, out cold, with Gaia collapsing soon after, draped over me.

Margaret employed the help of some semi-sober Clavats to heave us back to our respective rooms.

**RAC: **Just thought I'd tell some folks. I'm posting this week's chapter up uhhh...3 days early b/c I'm going CAMPING! Yay! First time in years, but I'm going with my sweet friend, and other than that, I'm goin' out with Nich, and I won't be home allll weekend. _wink _Enjoy!


	57. How Time Flies

**Katie**: Gaia?

**Gaia**: _grins and inches closer_ Yes my dearest Katie?

**Katie**: STFU before I freaking shock you with this taser between your legs.

**Gaia**: Yes Katie. _sits close to her_

**Amy**: Getting back to BEFORE the dumbass authoress got off-topic...I dare Geoffrey to kiss--

**Geoff**: _interrupts her_ No.

**Amy**: _angry vein_ Let me finish my sentence you idiot!

**Geoff**: Fair enough.

**Amy**: Good. I dare you to kiss--

**Geoff**: _interrupts her again_ No.

**Amy**: _glares angrily_

**Geoff**: Go on.

**Amy**: I. Dare. You. To. Kiss. _pauses_

**Geoff**: _blinks and waits_

**Amy**: Jake.

**Geoff**: …

**Jakob**: What?!

**One Month Later…**

As the title suggests, one month passed in the blink of an eye and all of us were soon hard at work with Johavsven, intent on collecting the money we needed to get our weapons fixed and learn the new techniques. And boy did we learn some amazing things!

Nich, master of the ever-destructive Meteor Blast, had learned the Dual Blast—an attack that allowed him to shoot out two burning balls of chi that exploded upon impact. Of course, he had to be taken out of the city to learn that one, as Jo had learned when he blew a massive hole in one wall. You can guess what he was busy with while the rest of us learned our techniques.

Hanna, our resident healer-person, got the Psi Blast down. This turned out to be rather challenging. I, she, and Amy all tried it out at first, but, of course; it required brain power and turned out to be too hard for me to handle, much to the amusement of everyone else. They cracked stupid jokes for about a week or so, until I threatened to blow them all up with what I had learned: the Shadowblade.

It required evil thoughts. So I was able to learn it in no time flat. What you have to do is think evil thoughts, summon that dark energy, channel it into your chi, which is supposed to go black, but mine ended up coming out a nasty-looking grey, and fly at the enemy and utterly destroy his innards; a nasty technique, obviously too dangerous to try on anyone else. I tried getting my revenge on Gaia by doing this—as revenge for getting me drunk—but was slapped several times and sent to work with Margaret for a week.; like I learned a whole lot there. It was kind of fun though…

And the rest of the people learned various techniques too complicated for me to explain. But all would end up being useful, and so you'll just have to wait and find out what they are!

During this month-long time of peace, we got an unexpected gift. And yes, Sarah got her shield fixed. Jo said it was because we had saved Alfitaria a lot of grievin' and trouble by killing Bertrum and Castille and saving Margaret from them. It was all-new weapon upgrades! We all refused immediately, thinking it was going to cost a lot more than it was worth, but Jo gave us a price we just had to accept, and so everyone was given a new weapon that suited best their new abilities and fighting style.

I got the Rune Sword; a greenish blade that had little ancient runes moving eerily along its edge. It helped me bring out my dark powers more. I had coupled it with the old iron plate I'd received from River Belle path. Hanna got a Marr Sword, Nich and Sarah steel blades, Momo an iron sword, Amy got a treasured sword, Gaia kept his old set, and Jakob and Geoff received Defenders.

Johavsven reminded us grimly that these weapons would have to last us a long while, because we would not come to another safe place like this 'til the Fields of Fum which was supposedly just a bunch of pastures where they raced cows or something! Sounds interesting! So we took the best precautions and left our things with the smithie after dark and when we would come back in the morning, everything would be shiny and new! Everyone spent most of their days out here with Jo…

And then came the day when Amy kicked me rudely awake one morning. I grumbled viciously and muttered some dark curses under my breath, but she remained undaunted, having put up with this kind of threatening for several years. She flipped my mattress over and said rudely,

"Katie! When the bloody hell are we leaving?!"

I gaped at her. I had forgotten all about that! I admit that I had been hoping we could just forget our quest and settle down in this city. But alas, it appeared to not be happening. I shrugged and stifled a yawn.

"Didn't we have to get something important?" I asked her.

"A chalice. Don't you remember? Gaia went through all the trouble of explaining this once….though I'm not surprised you don't remember…," she whispered mutinously. I smirked and replied that it wasn't my fault; Bertrum had given me brain damage. None the less, I sighed and stood up, having been confronted rather harshly about my procrastination.

"Y'know…You didn't seem too keen to leave either!" I pointed out, jabbing a finger under her chin. She knocked my hand away and chastised me the entire time I was changing into some rather flouncy—(RAC: My word. Means funky-cute)—clothes.

Since Justine was obviously not going to be coming back and I'd had several long hours to myself in the inn, I'd helped myself to her girly wardrobe and had fashioned myself shorts and capris and such things from her clothes. Some still had the ruffles and lace and crap. They were kinda cute, after all.

So, I'd made up my mind—coughwiththreatsfromAmycough—to go to the town square with everyone that morning. They were all—rather conveniently; I shot Amy a dirty look—seated expectantly at the table in front of me and I noticed they were all looking rather chummy and calm. Some of them were getting a little…extra flab and I grabbed my own stomach self-consciously. Being able to gorge yourself after spending nearly the entire previous month starving was s luxury, and Johavsven didn't really make us run rigorous death-trap obstacle courses like Mackentosh had. Plus, I hadn't had any dreams of her. I wondered what she meant by telling me 'he' knew my secret…

'Oh well we're getting ready to set off! Gotta keep everyone's spirits up!' I braced myself for surprised reactions; and, possibly, some angry outbursts from the rapidly becoming moody bandit. I sighed and walked up to everyone. I smirked and they looked at me with a knowing glint to their eyes. I assumed Amy had given them all the same treatment as she had given me.

"Well, you guys. I'm going to go ahead and assume you know what today is, right?"

They nodded their agreement and I blinked in response.

"We're headed into town as soon as we can. Eat and we're heading out."

No one seemed perturbed by this. I was surprised I turned and walked up to Margaret. As we chatted it up; me asking her about the location of the town center and where we could get hold of a chalice, her about how she liked what I'd done with Justine's clothes. I groaned as she went on and on about ideas for designs. I copied down the direction's she'd given me and made up some excuse so I could get away. I spent a while eating a quick breakfast and stood by the door the rest of the time, giving my friends the evil eye, signaling I was wanting to get this anxious part of our adventure over with. I could tell they knew we would be leaving soon.

"Gaia, can you lead us there?" I asked politely, handing the annoyingly flirty Clavat the slip of paper with the directions on it. He nodded, pecked the top of my head, and scampered—yes, scampered—to the head of the line. I made a face and scrubbed the top of my head.

"So, are we going to leave tomorrow then?" Amy asked. I shrugged.

"Possible. It just depends on if I can get everyone back into shape again…!" I whispered, jabbing a finger at the three guys walking behind us whose six packs I had seen up close and personal had faded into four packs. Geoff snarled death curses and I rubbed my temples menacingly. He lifted his leg and balanced professionally, preparing to launch me into orbit with his strong Power Kick attack. Amy shoved us apart and we continued on our way through the vaguely familiar streets.

It was kinda funny how I could live in a place like this for a long while—and have to run through it for my life repeatedly—and still not be able to find my way around without a guide. I once got myself lost for a while day because I was running away from Gaia's sexual harassment after I'd accomplished attacking Jakob with my ShoadowBlade move.

We came to the town center after squeezing between an irritable shop merchant and his…load of cabbages (;;) and came face-to-face with something I had never seen before: a giant blue crystal. It caught the rays of the sun and sent them ricocheting off all the things for sale in the square plot of town. A little ways away, there was a beaten dirt path with fresh patches of green grass and a bridge running over a river in the distance. It was a queer sight to see such an old-fashioned design in a town the was quite industrialized otherwise.

But there was something wrong with this crystal. I could tell. Holding up my hand so the sun didn't make my eyes water, I peered at the Crystal and saw that there appeared to be some sort of bug or something flitting around inside. They looked similar to fireflies and seemed to be dieing or something; they were all around the bottom 1/3rd of the stone. It made me wonder why there would be bugs in such a stone anyway. Was it losing its power, perhaps?

"This way, Katie! Don't get lost!"

I jumped at the sound of my name and scurried off after Gaia's fleeting back as he headed toward an imposing building that towered over the others and had many opened windows through which I could hear snatches of conversation and see many things…being thrown out the windows. So this was what politics would be like! I shivered and followed the others into the cool interior of the building.

**RAC: **I am TOTALLY freaking sorry you guys, for not posting on Saturday, but I'm stupid and kinda forgot if I even reminded you I'd be gone then. XP I was at a place called Shakamak, if any of you've ever heard of it. LoL. Anyways, travel pix're on my myspace page, if you guys wanna drop me a line there. Thanks to you, I've got over 1500 clicks. _smile_


	58. The Caravan Tsiknus

**Katie: **Due to the sudden - albeit relieving - fact all villains - as of now - have been killed off, Justine, Bertrum, and Castille shall no longer be on the show. _grin _Back to the T and D!

**Everyone Else**: _starts cracking up_

**Geoff**: NEVER!

**Amy**: I command you to!

**Geoff**: I'd rather die than kiss that egotistical bastard!!

**Amy**: Then trust me, Geoff. I can MAKE that happen. _glare_

**Geoff**: No.

**Amy**: Fine then.

_The room goes deadly quiet._

**Katie**: Why don't you give Mackentosh some lovin' then?

**Mackentosh**: What?!

**Geoffrey**: _thinking _Hmm...If I kiss Mackentosh, it won't make me gay, but is it even _possible _to kiss a dead person? o.O

**Sarah and Nich**: _Are reading his mind _What a dumbass.

**Geoff**: Fine. I'll kiss Mackentosh.

Gaia was already chatting up a Lilty, asking for the mayor or something. The Lilty smiled, nodded, and pointed him toward an old pair of Clavats who stood in the corner with expectant smiles on their faces, as if they knew already why we were there. We made our way over and introduced ourselves and our purposes. For all intents and purposes, we may as well have told them Christmas had come early, their faces were so lit up!

"So you wish to become a caravan for the town of Alfitaria, eh?" the old man, who'd introduced himself as Roland, said wheezily, rubbing his hands together. He gave us a toothy grin, gestured to his wife who scuttled off, and lead us into a back room that was cramped and hot.

Within seconds, I felt beads of sweat pooling on my brow and shrugged uncomfortably, trying to make room between Hanna and Nich on either side of me. Roland chuckled, closed his office door and maneuvered quickly over a desk and stack of boxes towards a spot of open area near a corner and another door. On the ornately painted walls were old paintings. I observed them closely and squirmed around to get a better look at one that hung directly behind me.

Depicted on its well-worn canvas was a widely diverse caravan. What I assume was its name as printed below the picture in faded, golden writing: Tsiknus. What a weird name! (RAC: I'm drinking "Sunkist" btw. XD) Coming from the edge of the frame was a blaze of fire which was being blocked by a long, brown-haired Clavat holding up a glinting bronze shield over which the fire zoomed. A little Lilty was rearing back, its mouth open in defiance at whatever beast it was fighting. A towering Yuke stood over everything with a flaming ball of chi raised in its left hand. And a beautiful, fierce Selkie woman was clutching a blue liquid-filled bucket-type thing close to her chest and fended off the fire with a racket in her right hand.

The picture seemed ominous to me. Everyone from all the races were working together to fight a single purpose. From what I had seen in the inn and the rest of the city of Alfitaria, barriers seemed to have been set up and had been so for a while, between the various people. I brushed my fingers along the plate while Roland began to babble to the rest in a wheezy, old voice. The date…1000?! I spun around and peered at the rest of the paintings in the room. They seemed to be covered in even more dust than the one I was messing with, so I went ahead and assumed they were older than this one. It made me wonder why the old man was so interested in our caravan.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and shook away the troublesome thoughts. Roland was there and speaking as if I were the only one in the room.

"You see. Tsiknus was our last caravan. Our Crystal held up for so long, we did not feel the need to send out another one. But a few years ago, an evil seemed to be seeping from the West. It spread quickly over the lands and all our scouts we sent to investigate the mysterious feeling never came back. But the worse of the Miasma, as we later discovered it was, did not come any closer to us than Veo lu Sluice, and that is a long ways away. None the less, the Crystal's protective powers began to fade and our protection is weakening. We need more caravans every year, but the people are too afraid to step foot outside the barriers, and I myself cannot make them leave, nor can I go out on my own without a Moogle. And those are rare here as well," he hung his head sadly and moved away. I felt something in my heart that seemed to be telling me that I had to do this for the old man. And for Alfitaria, as well as River Belle Path.

The others seemed to be waiting for me to say something. I sighed and listened as the old man raised his voice again.

"Your arrival into this world—and yes, I know you come from another world. Word spread fast when Mackentosh first arrived here—came as soon as I'd had a vision. In the vision, a star-spun lass came to me and whispered of the people that would arrive here bred with animals and with the fate of the world in their hands. I never found out her name, but her words came true: here you are!" He clapped his hands jovially and looked at us. So. Will you become one of us? Your portrait will hang forever here in our gallery, as well as our hearts and memories.

"We still tell the tales of caravans like Tsiknus's and the others, for they all saved our city in their turn. You will be honored as well. If you have any doubts, voice them now. I will not hold it against you if you choose not to; many before you have turned down the opportunity. Choose. Please."

I saw my friends whispering to each other and shooting me glances as if thinking I would say something stupid…

'Oh, screw it!' I thought to myself. 'I want to do this.'

"Roland? We'll do it! We will be the next caravan for the city of Alfitaria!"

There was no angry outburst. From anyone. I was surprised. I let out a shaky laugh and felt claps on my shoulders. Roland let loose with one from his hands and the door next to him burst open from the hinges. I cringed and expected him to be smashed against the wall, but oddly enough, the door opened from the opposite side and the woman I'd seen earlier came in carrying a bundle swathed in cloth. I heard Gaia gasp from a few feet away.

"Man, I've only heard of this in the old scrolls!"

I cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward as the woman leaned against the object she'd set on a wobbly stack of packages.

"This is wonderful news, Roland! So we have our next caravaners?!"

She seemed horribly excited. Getting a closer look at her bundle, I saw the cloth was filthy. It was stained with who knew what and had holes everywhere, along with mothballs and a strange odor that permeated the air and hovered around it. It was old. So very old.

"This, my friends, will be your Chalice!" the couple said together, and whipped the covering off the Chalice. There was a collective gasp from everyone but me and Amy. It didn't appear to be all that cool to me. It looked like a beaten up old bucket with a spiraling piece of metal or whatever curling out of the lip with a small bob at the end. There was even a hole in the side! It too was coated in grimy dust. I crossed my arms and huffed my disappointment. Roland smirked knowingly at me.

"You do not find this to your liking, young warrior?" he asked me. I shook my head. "Haha. Well, I do not expect you to admire its history. This if our only Chalice, and as such, has been with the city since its founding, centuries ago. All our caravans used it, and you should feel special taking it with you on your journey."

"Yeah, Katie! You're such a dope!" Nich snapped, thwacking me. I rubbed my head angrily and Roland told us to stop.

"I do not expect such a child to understand the things important to this old man. Alas, she will see its importance soon enough. Now if you wish, you can leave and come back tomorrow. We can discuss the best path for you to take out of the city. Come here, and lay your hands together on this bob on top of the Chalice," Roland said.

Everyone complied and piled on top of one another to touch the tip of the Chalice. Once all of our hands were together, Roland began chanting a spell under his breath and waving his palms over us. I didn't understand what he was saying, but my whole arm began to buzz. Soon, all of your bodies were glowing with an eerie blue-green light. I felt something sting my chest and all was normal again. We all quickly backed away and listened as Roland told us something highly important.

"Now that you have bonded with the Chalice--," here, he shoved it into my arms, "—you cannot stay in the city for long. We will host a party in your honor, and it will be the time of your departure."

"What the--?! So you're just kicking us out now, old man?!" I cried indignantly. Roland silenced me with a glare.

"Not so crude, please. You are taking the lives of us all with you. You must get us more myrrh, please! And come back once a year to fill up our Crystal so's the town will be safe. Now go, shoo! The party will be in three days. Shoo!"

And before I could say anything ruder, the couple—with strength so surprising I thought that they must have been part of the last caravan even though it was obvious they were too young—pushed us out the door and we all collapsed onto one another.

"Anyone understand any of that?" I asked angrily, shoving bodies off me one by one until I was able to stand up and lean against a pillar with the Chalice cradled instinctively under my arm. My friends gazed at the way I held the stupid thing and I snorted with disgust. "He was awfully fit for an old bastard, though. I'll give him that much…," still nothing. "So, are we going to go ask Margaret if she'll help us prepare for this dumb festival-thing?" I asked; still nothing. "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF--," and I cut myself off.

I gazed around at the people that had been marching intently across the office space all around us before we'd entered Roland's room, and saw that they were not moving about their business as hurriedly as they had before. Indeed, they were stumbling into people that had halted and were staring at our large group with huge, round eyes that seemed disbelieving. Must've been that whole no caravan in the last 200 years thing.


	59. Fangirls are Scary

**Mackentosh**: Don't bring me into your petty mortal quarrels.

**Amy**: On second thought, just kiss the monkey.

**Geoff**: Stop flip-flopping you blonde spaz!

**Amy**: KISS HIM, DAMMIT!!

**Gaia**: Why not, Geoff? I hear Nich's very skilled. _grin_

**Katie**: _pats his back _Don't bite his lip. He doesn't like that. _shifty eyes_

**Geoff**: _Glares at Katie_

**Jake**: _Grips Geoff's shoulder _Yes, be gentle. And don't start going at it on stage. There are rooms upstairs for that kind of thing.

**Geoff**: _Eyes start twitching irritably_

**Momo**: Huh. What a change of events.

"What're you looking at, punk?!" I snapped irritably at the nearest Lilty who scuttled off. I huffed and shrugged my shoulders toward the exit which now seemed a distance away. I felt my cheeks burn a bright red color as I left the building, soft claps echoing all around my party. I covered my face with one hand and darted out into the bright sunlight.

But there was still no escape.

The doors had been left open when we entered the building, and apparently, people had seen us with our dirty old Chalice and gawked at us. They kind of walked toward us with zombie-like movements with their hands out-stretched, the things they'd been carrying left forgotten on the ground. Then an explosion of whistles, claps, and questions began to bombard us. Random folk darted off the spread the news, and I had a horrible feeling getting back to the inn was not going to be an easy thing. My friends didn't seem to know what to do. They were hiding behind me and quaking at the sight of so many people rushing at them, so opposite of the calm, appreciative natives of River Belle Path.

"What're you doing?!" I barked. "RUN FOR IT!"

All hell broke loose. Our audience had sensed our plan, or rather heard it, and darted forward, grabbing at us with their hands. I cried out and grabbed Gaia and Sarah who were closest, yelled, "MAKE FOR THE INN!!" and shoved my way through the masses as best as I could with two people closed in one hand and an ancient rust bucket enclosed in the other, swinging by the bob at its top.

"Katie, this way!" Gaia grabbed my hand, grabbed Sarah in his other hand, and swung us against an indented doorway as a mob of rabid fanpeople swarmed past screaming something in their native tongues that I really didn't want to know about.

We collapsed for a second, perspiring to the dust when a little Selkish girl spotted us and called to the others who seemed to appear by magic. Instantly, we were on our feet again, darting into shadows and into crevices that were hardly wide enough to hide me, and I was small.

We ended up spotting Margaret's inn from the corner and, dodging around a Selkie merchant who yelled at us in English; something I barely registered, because I wanted desperately to be back in the shelter of the hotel. We threw ourselves inside and slammed and locked the door behind us. We were on a mad dash to bolt all the windows – on all three floors, mind you – by the time Margaret came from the kitchens and looking like the Americans had won the Revolution all over again. She let us go on our frenzy and gathered us into a back room where Amy, Hanna, Nich and Geoffrey were waiting, all red-faced and panting.

"Where're Jakob and Momo?" I asked gulping fearfully for their lives. The others shook their heads sadly and I groaned, praying for their safety. Margaret soon swooped in and I realized something eerie: there were no people lounging around like there usually was. I grunted.

"So you heard the news, eh?" I asked huffily, slamming the Chalice on the table between everyone.

"No; I actually knew when I saw that Chalice, Katie. Now, I hear the celebrations will begin in three days! Oh, what a wonderful night it will be! I simply have to make you all new clothes! I will employ my new apprentices at once! Ohhh, they're gonna turn out lovely! I am so proud of you all! Yay!" and the hostess went on a kissing rampage, at the same time copping a feel on us all, 'though most likely to get our measurements. None the less, once she had left still talking to herself, we were too embarrassed to look each other in the eye. We turned away.

"Anyone know what happened to the guests?" Nich asked.

"Margaret said they all stampeded out the door for some reason. 'Though I know why; we must've had the whole town after us! What hell!!" Geoff explained warily.

"So…how are Momo and Jakob supposed to get inside if we've locked ourselves in?" Amy asked; we all sweatdropped.

Some time later; when the sun had dropped below the horizon, and furious pounding arrived on the door, Geoff was so terrified to open it, he actually cut a hole at his eye-level so he could make sure it wasn't more rabid fans. It was Momo and Jakob, and both were soaked to the bone for some reason. We pulled the boards off the door and let them in just as Margaret appeared from outside with a sign in her hands. We didn't question how she got out. We pretty much had learned by now that she was magical. She hammered the thing into the ground next to the door and trumped in after the dripping duo.

"What's the sign say, Margaret?" Geoff asked casually, blocking the hole with his body.

"It says that the residents of the inn will have to find someplace else to stay. Our heroes are to stay here in peace and quiet without a disturbance from the common folk." I cocked an eyebrow. "Whaat? I need the time to get to work on your costu--…I mean, nice clothing!!"

After a bit of fluttered questioning, she merely twiddled her thumbs and refused to say a word, much to my and Sarah's anger; her being probably the easiest to get angry. Next to Mackentosh of course. We let her be and decided to head back up to bed.

That night, for what seemed like the first in a millennia, I dreamt of Mackentosh and that huge golden gate.

It was frightening at first: I had not had any sort of connection to the place since that night long ago in Selapation Cave where she told me that the King of Conal Kurach knows my secret. Even reflecting back on that now, I have no idea what she meant. As far as I knew, I had no secret that would be of any benefit to the king.

Anyway, when I came face-to-face with the mass of darkness lit only by the ethereal light leaking through the crack between the two doors, I screamed. The sound echoed off into the abyss and never returned to me. My breathing was muffled, but once I gathered myself, I recognized where I was and knew what lay waiting for me beyond the gate. I crept forward and squeezed between the doors.

I looked around at the lush landscape and knew immediately that something was different. In my last experience, my surroundings had given me such a sense of peace that I felt I could lie down on the most uncomfortable-looking thing and sleep the best and deepest sleep of my life. And now, uneasiness crept down my spine and made me shiver. I peered into the shadows that the moon hanging overhead could not pierce, trying to spot my star-spun friend.

When I could not find her, I tip-toed forward and parted slightly the ring of bushes that I knew bordered the rock garden where I had seen Mackenzie last. Scrapes appeared on my arms from the sharp branches and they did not disappear. I was startled.

'I thought this was supposed to be a place of peace for the dead. Are they supposed to be able to get hurt?' I wondered.

Shaking my head to clear it, I poked my head towards an opening in the thicket and saw the rock garden, but unlike the vision of seeing my old friend again, I was greeted with the image of seeing her beaten, bloody, and raw. With a cry of exclamation, I darted forward, leaving strands of my long hair caught in the hands of the thorns.

"Mackenzie, what happened?!" I asked her, dropping down on my knees and grabbing her chin so she would look at me. "Who did this to you? Was it that black cloud?"

Mackenzie chuckled and batted my hand away. It looked as if she had aged a bit since I last saw her. "You see, Katie. The King holds many powers; some of which are control over the dead and their spirits. I was tortured after you had escaped. The King was not happy about that. He knows your only weakness, and I am afraid I can no longer tell you what that is, since it will most likely destroy both you and me…"

Her words confused me. "Mackenzie, did he place some sort of spell on this place and all those who inhabit it? I mean, it's no longer peaceful, and I'm getting hurt!" I thrust my arms under her nose so she could see the scratches that were there. She shook her head and unlatched her breastplate. It fell from her body like an extra skin. She lifted up her shirt so I could see her stomach and the two marks embedded there.

". It means 'Unrest'. And  means 'Protect the Darkness. With both dark words upon my flesh, I can neither rest like I did before nor let loose any of the King's dark secrets. I apologize, my friend. I can help you no more. You must leave me here, and go on your journey. There is no hope for me…"

Involuntarily, I felt tears creep into my eyes and forced them down again. An angry lump rose in my throat and I snarled out harsh words. "You ass!! You cannot actually expect me to abandon you when it is now that I need you the most? I have the most important news for you and you don't even care anymore! It's so aggravating how I'm always letting everyone down and forcing them to save me because I am such a fool. I want to be the one to save my friends this time. I want to become stronger, Mackenzie! And I cannot do that without knowing that I leave the ones I have lost with something to be proud of!"

After my speech, I clutched the sand in my fingers and threw it at a nearby stone where the ball exploded and cascaded down its sides like a waterfall. Mackenzie chuckled and patted my shoulder.

"My friend. I am already more proud of you than you will ever know. And there's something I can tell you: It is that the dead have an unyielding hold over the fates of those still alive, and that I hold your life in my hands. Everyone's lives are mine to protect, and I will not let the King get his grubby hands on them. These are some powerful curse words, and I have found myself unable to break the hold they have over me. I will slowly waste away until nothing remains of me and I become a Pyrefly and flit among the lost souls still on the earth. But that way, I will be close to you always. Now tell me…what is the news you wanted to share?"

**RAC: **_sigh_ All right, my drunken mother has put me on this shit called "restriction" and thus I am updating as quickly as possible while she's out on her Harley. I'm sorry people!! _sob_


	60. Secret Plans

**Hanna**: Watching your lover kiss a guy might give you a heart attack, Momo.

**Momo**: _anime tears _WWHHHY??

**Sarah**: You're all such spazes

**Katie**: Stuff it, bear-face

**Geoff**: Someone kill me.

**Nich**: It'd be my pleasure.

**Amy**: Just kiss the idiot!

**Geoff and Nich**: Fine! _make eye-contact, start gagging, andquickly smooch._

**Everyone**: _laughs hysterically_

**Jake**: That was very unpleasant to see.

**Mackentosh**: I'm happy I didn't have to do that, but I still feel bad...for Nich.

**Momo**: _gone a bit crazy _Katie, why did Nich kiss Geoffrey?

**Katie**: Oh, that's an easy question. It's what we mature teenagers call "being gay".

Goosebumps erupted on my arms and legs and I shook my head. "We are the official caravan of Alfitaria, Mackenzie. Though I will not forget River Belle Path, and that my true loyalty lies with it, we got the ancient Chalice of the caravan called Tsikuns and are to leave on our journey in three days time. I wanted to be sure that you would be watching over us as we went on our way…" And the tears came, but no sobs. These were no tears of sadness, but more so those of parting. I knew that it would become harder for me to part with everyone I had come to know and love in the city and become more acquainted with the Miasma and evil creatures that lurked in the outside world and of the magic I knew we would have to all be able to use if we were to survive. I needed to get back to Johavsven's shop as soon as possible. I stood up and waved good-bye to Mackenzie.

"I will not leave you here forever, my friend!" I called as I left, shouldering my way through the bushes. She threw a sand mass at me, but I dodged it and woke up in the daylight of Margaret's inn, being unable to stay asleep as was the case when I'd had my last vision as well.

"So, Margaret. How're our-erm…outfits coming along?"

My question came out all forced and wrong-sounding and fake. I didn't like the daunting task before me: sneaking into Margaret's sewing room – well…more like find the sewing room by smoothly asking the hostess about its location and getting a peek at our clothes, to make sure they weren't to gaudy or anything. I was sooo not doing this for myself, though; of course not!

Margaret could tell I was up to something: whether it was the sweat coming down my stressed-out face or the many faces peering from the stairs behind me, I didn't know. She tutted, tapped her foot, and shook her head as if she was highly disappointed in me. I shrieked and pulled my hair, unleashing a girly shriek of joy from one of the many fans lining the walls of the inn.

Everyone was getting something resembling cabin fever already and we needed something to brighten our lives. I tugged my hair and bolted for the staircase, bowling over Momo, Amy, Gaia, and Sarah who had been there, listening intently. Sarah glared at me like I was the biggest pansy in the world. Which I probably could have been, had I not been terrified of my situation.

"I'm going to guess that you did not get any information?" Sarah asked me darkly, glaring menacingly through her glasses.

I cried out in terror and dashed for my room, just managing to slam the door in their faces before collapsing heavily against it. My friends turned away and burst into the guys' room where Jakob, Nich, and Geoffrey were French-braiding each other's hair and wore petrified expressions at having been caught. Momo immediately went into hysterics and rolled around with tears streaming from her eyes. Amy ogled Jakob whom she held affections for. Gaia skipped over and began braiding his hair into a million tiny little braids and Sarah thwacked them all. Hanna later came out of nowhere and giggled stupidly.

"Katie's idea of peacefully gathering the information has, as I knew it would, failed. Who here now questions my judgment?" Sarah stood imperiously on a chair that had gone flying when Momo collapsed in tears with her arms crossed. The others cowered before her, having previously had this sort of secret meeting when I wasn't looking... "Now voice some of your ideas on how we can break through the mighty and terrible Margaret's defenses. We know she keeps the location hidden and the key out of sight, but the things that are hidden within the room's depths could make or break our reputations in this place!"

Amy raised her hand meekly. Sarah nodded at her. "But…Sarah. Roland told us that we have to return to Alfitaria once a year no matter what! What does it matter what the people think of us if we only come back that often?"

Sarah narrowed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Because, Amy, we are going to go down in history! If we destroy the King of Conal Kurach, just think of all the people who will know and remember our names forever! If we leave behind a few bad things in a single city that we are the caravan for they could become a tourist trap or something! And no one likes tourists, right?"

Everyone shook their heads yes immediately, thinking of the tourists with their binoculars and brightly-colored and extremely tacky shirts. They shivered. Then, I walked in after the banging on my door had ceased. I saw them all congregated there and merely strutted in and settled down next to Jakob and hooked arms with him nonchalantly, laying my hands in his lap. I felt him stiffen up and giggled. Sarah groaned and rolled her eyes, but continued taking suggestions from us.

"I've got the most evilly plan in the world!" Momo chirped, waving her hand enthusiastically in the air. Sarah pointed to her and Momo took her place on top of the chair. She used over-the-top hand gestures and spoke excitedly, none of us taking notice that I had left the door open. And that out in the hallway, armed with a tape measure, was Margaret, 'though she was on the second landing, she could still hear Momo's carrying voice. She grasped snippets of convo and stored them away for later use.

Gaia's ears twitched and he karate-chopped me on the head, causing me to shriek. Margaret appeared in an instant and we all shrugged her off, saying that Gaia was merely going on another sexual-rampage. She agreed, and left us in peace. Sarah shut and locked the door in her wake. She waited until the hostess's footsteps disappeared before telling Mo to continue with her explanation, which ended up getting support and suggestions from those gathered around her.

"Here's what I think we should do…," she spoke in a hushed voice. "We'll take six to eight of these…and after which…this can easily be done with a normal lantern, and then…voila! The hiding spot is revealed!"

Hanna agreed vigorously. "That's amazing, Momo! What an excellent idea!" She high-fived Nich sitting next to her.

Jakob, however, seemed skeptical of its probability of turning out without his aunt's blood being spilt. "Are you sure you're not taking this a bit too far? What if one of us gets hurt?"

Nich glared daggers at the younger man and shook his head while pointing a finger at him. Jakob seemed slightly perturbed by his childish actions and gave him the typical "anime f-you" sign, pulling down one lower eyelid with one finger and sticking his tongue out while going,

"Nyaaaah!" to which Nich replied, "You must take sides now, Jakie m'boy! Who will it be? Us or her. You do want to make sure your outfit's not overly extravagant, don't you? And don't make me use this…!"

Jake sighed. "I've worn countless 'extravagant' attire, Nich, and it is not all as bad as you think! And why are you threatening me with your stupid braid?" he flipped his bangs out of his face in a very girly way which caused me to let him go and jump into the arms of Gaia who had them open for me.

"Designer cut. It was braided by Queen Araniel herself. It is the source of my terrifying power…!" after saying which he shook it at the prince in a mocking way and waved his arms "ghost-like" at him. Jake spat.

"We cannot stand to lose any more time, Jakie! The party's in two days!! We cannot stand to look like fools by…prancing around like nancy boys!" Sarah suggested slyly, glancing at Jake as if hoping he would say something gay so she could rag on him for the rest of his known life. Jake broke and kneaded his eyes with his fists.

"If everyone else is in, I guess I have no choice…!"

"Excellent!" Momo pumped her fist in the air and did a little dance which caused her to topple out of the chair and land in Nich's lap where both blushed furiously and leapt away from each other, much to the amusement of the Earth people who knew their "torrid" love story. Amy offered the next bit of help.

"And I'll put the You-Know-Whats by our bedroom doors after Margaret's gone to bed so she won't spot them on her rounds to check on us. Right next to the Oh-Yes-We-Dids. And the beef."

"Beef?" Gaia asked skeptically, raising one eyebrow. I poked him hard in the side and he made a funny expression but ignored me so I did it harder and he flipped me head-over-heels 'til I was on my back in his lap. I quickly explained,

"It's for strength. You know, in case the lady gets balky," before I scrambled away and latched myself onto Geoff who looked ready to murder something when I touched him.

Momo nodded readily. "Good thinking, Amy. It's so touching that we have each other like this…!" and being the drama queen Mo was known to suddenly transform into, she let a few crocodile tears slide down her cheeks. Geoff sighed and cracked his neck by jerking it suddenly to the side. I quickly grabbed it and cracked it the other way, enjoying the gross pop sound it made. I grinned and reached for his head again, but Geoff slapped my fingers and I crawled underneath the bed to see to what end I would come. (RAC: If that sentence made any sense to you, kudos! XD)

"Oh, yes. Mo. Your devotion to the cause really brings a tear to the old eye…," he glanced sideways at Nich and scooted backwards, away from Nich's flailing braid. "Hey! Get that demonic thing away from me!"

"It's blessed by the Queen!" Nich argued defensively.

"We'd better act normal for a bit. We'll act out our plan tonight. We'd better try and get atleast a few hours of sleep too. We're going to need our rest if we're to complete our mission." Sarah piped up. I emerged from under the bed acted sat on top of it.

"Good point." Momo said. "Agents Momo, Sarah, Amy, Hanna, and Katie of Team Save Our Reps signing off."

"Over and out!" Gaia chirped, waving his hand good-bye cheerily as we left the room. He turned to the other guys who were in the room and giggled before leaving the room and shut the door behind him.

"Does anyone else think Gaia's a little bit…gay?" Jakob asked everyone nervously.

**RAC: **GAH! I know, I know, I suck with deadlines. LoL. But this is a good chappie, no? I hope I didn't offend anyone by making gay jokes. _sweat _Aaaanyway, I was late THIS time b/c I had to go bowling with onna my mom's friends and his 3 sons...Ooooh, chapter SIXTY..._drooling. _LoL.


	61. Margaret's Power

**Nich**: _gagging _Momo! I'M NOT GAY!

**Momo**: I feel…

**Katie**: Disgusted, dismayed, like puking?

**Momo**: All three.

**Mackentosh**: _rips Nich and Geoff apart before they kill each other. _Go Geoff.

**Gaia**: Yeah, c'mon! It's your turn!

**Hanna**: Make it count Geoff!

**Geoffrey**: Fine. And since I am a fine, upstanding young gentleman, I shall forget all about revenge and do something even better..._ninja face _

**Sarah**: This ought to be good.

**Jake**: For some reason, I feel like you're not gonna like it...

**Geoffrey**: I dare Sarah--

At dinner that night, while I heartily dug into the basket of piping hot rolls and we scooted the table as far away from the front door where our fans seemed to be living and breeding as possible, Geoff claimed to have heard a door slam off a little ways away. We were all silent, and despite the cries of, "We loo-oove you!" and "Have my baby!" the only sound was that of Margaret's footsteps climbing up a set of stairs right below us. I turned to Jakob.

"Did you know there was a basement here?" I asked him. He shook his head, saying that he hadn't known his aunt even had an inn in Alfitaria, much less that there would be a basement.

What was even weirder was when the sound of doors closing very softly and the scratch of keys in locks reached our ears from far off. Margaret soon appeared a few moments later blotting her forehead with a washrag as if she had been hard at work slaving over a hot stove just for us, and balancing a plate of her food in the other. Ever since Margaret had learned of our promise to the city of Alfitaria, she had cooked up what seemed to be her legendary recipes; things made for Jakob and the royal family back when they'd all lived back at the capital.

While chewing slowly and thoughtfully on my bannock bread, I glanced across the table at Amy who began to chat up the hostess as she went about her business serving us despite our constant asking her not to.

"For the last time you guys! You will just have to wait and see what your…outfits are going to look like at the party!!" she snapped, fending off our later questions with her rag of death with which she whipped us. We yelped and let her be the rest of the time.

Eventually, our stomachs reached their bursting points and we slunk up to bed with sore necks and aching legs as they lugged us up the stairs to the third floor.

"What time will we meet?" Amy asked everyone. Momo tapped her chin thoughtfully and said right when Margaret would reach the lowest floor after checking up on us later that night. None of us really knew when that was since there were no digital clocks – obviously – in this era, but we decided on this period none the less. We separated and went to our rooms to roam restlessly around them.

Once we heard Margaret's footsteps on the staircase, we all leapt into bed after having changed into black so's to blend in better in case we had to blend. I first heard Margaret opening the guys' room and someone making a "Wooo!" noise before the sound of someone getting thwacked followed, then a yelp. The door closed and she came toward us. My heart was pounding The light from Margaret's lantern dazzled my eyes since I was facing the doorway. I hoped my eyes – opened just a slit – weren't giving away the fact that I was awake by reflecting the light back at her.

Nothing happened and she left, chuckling. This should've been my clue that something was up, but alas, I'm an idiot and didn't take the details into account before rousing my friends who had actually drifted off in that short amount of time. Together we leaned against the door, listening intently for the moment when Margaret's footsteps disappeared. Once they did, we slid the door open just a bit and squeezed out so it wouldn't make that annoying – but loud – creak it always did when it reached the ¾'s way.

"So far, so good, eh?" I whispered to my friends. They nodded and signaled that I should tap on the guys' door to see if they were ready. I raised my hand, and – using my fingers – tapped out a beat on their door. It opened and the four of them filed out almost immediately after I removed my hand. We pushed Momo to the front who grabbed two bags out of a side-table to our left and handed each sexed group one.

"Don't open them yet…!" she ordered. We nodded and proceeded to follow our leader downstairs. She peeked around the corner on the first floor. "No one here!" she grinned and jabbed her thumb over her shoulder as she told us this. We slunk onto the main landing and fanned out, keeping a look at all angles possibly, particularly our fans who seemed to have some sort of heightened sense of knowing whenever we were within a hundred feet of them.

All was quiet as we grouped together beside the kitchen doorway. Momo jabbed it open with three fingers and it swung open obediently on its hinges, belaying no noise. We crept forward and tried to find hiding places.

"Hmm…where'd I put that silk?"

"Oh my God!! HIDE!!" Momo shriek-whispered, waving her arms frantically.

We all burst out of formation, scrambling desperately for any spot that would shelter us.

Echoes of Valor…We Are the Final Cry of Men

Chapter Seventeen

I dove desperately for an empty slidy-cabinet door thing next to me and quickly rolled it shut, leaving a crack open so I could see what was happening outside. Two young people – probably a few years younger than I even – were walking into view carrying candles. Why they were looking in the kitchen for silk I had no idea. This seemed to be brought to their attention and the couple left. But not before I got a good eye-view of them.

One was obviously a Selkie; her beauty was a testament to that. She had short blond swirls of hair that curled just underneath her ears and lined her heart-shaped face. The other was a Clavat with long chestnut-colored locks tied at her waist with a brown band. Since it was night, both were dressed in simple nightgowns but had them hitched into little belts at their sides and each were filled with instruments that were to be used for clothing construction; needles, thread, scissors, and the like.

Mo tumbled out of an empty trash can and rolled across the floor towards the door. She whipped up and pressed her ear against the one through which the two had gone. She waved her arms and slipped silently forward, the rest of us following her like shadows.

The passages beyond the main kitchen were dark and poorly lit, though there was one which had orange light pooling at the floor of one door at its end.

"I think we've found it!" Momo chirped. She reached into the little baggies and pulled out 7 incredibly small bundles of some material which she threw at us. It was then I realized what it was.

"You stole the silk?!" I whispered angrily at her. So it was her fault we had almost been found in the main room!

"What's the silk for anyway?" Amy asked, wrapping it like a cloak around herself. Momo said that they would be used as bargaining chips. In case we found only the worker people inside, to keep them quiet about what we were doing, we would hand over x rolls of the silk for them to use. I resisted the very strong urge to hit something and thrust my bundle at Geoff who fingered the pricey material between his rough fingers with dollar signs appearing in his eyes.

Momo said it was a bargaining chip and as one we slithered forward until I was bunted forward to peek in the keyhole. I pressed myself as silently as I could against the frame without causing an incredibly loud crash and looked into the room. What I saw there stunned me beyond words. It's a miracle I am able to tell you all this now, years later, so amazed was I at what I saw dazzling me in the room beyond.

Although Margaret's new staff occasionally blocked my view, the dress – for indeed, it was an ordinary-looking thing – was spectacular. 'Twas made of black silk with thin, almost indistinguishable straps lacing up behind it. I couldn't tell what was in the back as the garment itself was hanging on an opened door of a bureau out of which flooded many sewing things. White pearls glistened in diagonal slashes along with shining silver streaks across the middle. It was obviously going to be tight and curve-hugging. A little shawl also dappled with pretty pearls was draped over the dress's shoulders.

"Can you…believe that Margaret can…do that?" I whispered to my friends, wiping the drool from my face, forgetting that they couldn't see what I could. Eager hands grabbed me and I was jostled back until I fell into the arms of a person whose eerie little laugh reminded me a lot of…I looked up with an excuse already playing on my lips.

"Margaret!"

Needless to say, without even a description to give you, we were in trouble. Deep trouble. The most I can remember – for I was soon afterwards knocked out cold – is that Margaret was going on a savage rampage about not being able to keep even one little secret from the prying eyes and ears of "us young people" and apparently dragging up her old fighting abilities the likes of which had died out a decade before and so none of us had any idea how to counter her moves.

The next morning, I was feeling groggy and sick and toppled out of the bed in a mass tangle of sheets, not even paying attention to who was in there with me. I groaned loudly and rubbed my sore back and neck. I grabbed onto a bedpost and pulled myself up, not really caring that Gaia and another unconscious boy were (was? .) in the same room. My stomach was churning and I flew towards the nearest restroom before collapsing at the basin which served as the toilet. (RAC: How'm I supposed to know what they use? XD)

I heaved up the contents of last night's dinner before realizing that Amy was slumped against the wall, snoring. I swooned and slapped her a few times unsteadily. She gurgled and fell over. If she had woken up before, I knew she wouldn't now, she'd knocked herself clean out again. I waved my arms at her and wiped my filthy mouth with a rag hanging on a ring on the wall. I staggered down the hall towards my room again, hoping to find a clean pair of clothes to change into.

**RAC: **Ehehe! Yeeeeah! Do I really need to explain by now? LoL. I'm grounded. But I still updated! Good for me. I hope everyone's enjoying my story still! Hard to believe it's been over a year!


	62. Robbed

**Geoff**: --to slap Gaia!

**Gaia**: Hey!

**Sarah**: Atleast I don't gotta kiss 'im.

**Geoff**: Good.

**Sarah**: None the less, I refuse to take part in this childish game.

**Geoff**: Damn it.

**Gaia**: Yay!

**Katie**: It's not going to be bad. Better than kissing the womanizing fag.

**Gaia**: I'm not a fag!

**Katie**: Sorry. Slut. _smirk_

When I lurched into it a few minutes later Gaia and the mystery boy – Nich – raced by me in a mad dash for the bathroom I had just fled. I tried smiling but found my muscles were feeling very lax and I was unable to even perform this simple gesture. I went to the closet, pulled out a long puffy white dress with long sleeves with orange trim, a brown slip-over vest, and black stockings. No shoes were available, so I threw on the dirty ones I'd used in Justine's cult's hide-out or whatever the hell it had been.

I dressed and shook my head free of the inane dizziness that wasn't quite unlike the hang-over I'd suffered with Gaia a few nights before. I vowed never to drink again…not. But while I was making my vows, I was also thinking about getting Margaret's trust again. And thus, as has happened before when my mind is occupied, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and tripped head-long down the last staircase.

This did nothing to ease the throbbing in my brain which relished another opportunity to come back and make my morning hell. I let loose a string of curse words but stopped when I realized Margaret was sitting at one of the tables against the back wall, calmly sipping a cup of something that was hot. This was weird, seeing her all…well…not moving. I guess I was so used to the image of her bustling around me and taking care of me that I never really thought of her as a person. I hated myself. I gathered myself together and walked over.

Nervously, I fidgeted with the trim on my sleeves until she said something that made my heart drop.

"With a mouth like that, I may have to revoke my permission on letting my nephew be with you."

There was zilch I could say to a statement like that. My mouth fell open and my face colored. When I finally mustered up the necessary muscle-power to utter a reply, it came out a screech.

"Who the hell do you think you are to tell a man like Jakob who he can and cannot fall in love with?!"

To this, she said, "Ha. I am not angry for what you did, Katie. I still love you and all, but I feel that you will not be able to live up to the prince's standards. He kind of deserves someone with royal blood…"

I slammed both hands down. I was gripping them into fists so tightly my nails were white. I gnashed my teeth and exploded.

"WHY DON'T YOU STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA IF HE WILL OR WILL NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH ME!"

And with that out of my system, I fled the inn, blasting through the front door with such fury that I sent it flying into the street, scaring the fans away from the entrance. They disappeared as quickly as the people that were in my path did.

I had no clue where I was going. My anger blinded me to the possible dangers of wandering into the city alone and without protection. I remember passing Johavsven's shop and the Great Crystal with its slowly vanishing depths and even the great wall which surrounded the whole city. But I don't think I went out the front way, for there were no hedges out this way, only sloping, grass-covered fields and hills. A dirt path twisted over them until it vanished into the distance.

I bent down and grabbed a pebble from this path. I tossed it from hand-to-hand and began to meander the area, not paying attention to passing caravans who probably just thought I was some crazy Clavat. I continued this pointless pilgrimage until I came upon a small pool hidden within a sheltered grove of gently-swaying trees. I walked over to it and plopped down and thought for a very long time.

It was during this period of self-reproach that I realized my feet were bleeding. I had come a long way without shoes and running out of the inn and into these woods with nothing to protect them had been a really dumb idea. Rivulets of my blood ran across my fingers and I had a sudden, but random, flash-image of what would happen if I were to die.

Would anyone care? Would there be any pain if I died? Who would kill me? Would I even make it back home?!

This last thought brought tears to my eyes. It had been a while since I had even given my real home a passing thought, and I chastised myself for forgetting it so easily. I dipped my feet into the water of the pool and washed my feet of their blood and my eyes of their tears. I cracked my knuckles even though I found this to be a nasty habit and it hurt me. I ambled over to a tree and collapsed in its huge gnarled roots that wound down to the shore of the water. I crossed my arms and looked up at the dappled sky above me.

'Hmph. How can Margaret say that to me? I thought my relationship with the prince was cool. He can't love me…and I don't love him either! I'm just too…common I guess….Feh!'

Now that I had worked myself into a nice deep funk, there was no way I was going back to the inn. I didn't want anyone to see me in this state. Not like they hadn't before, but still. I was gonna stay out of everyone's way for a while. In this nice tree that had never done any wrong to me. I brushed the roots winding up by my arms and imagined what the tree must've gone through. I knew they took a long time to grow up as big as they did…What had it gone through? What kind of hell had it endured over the centuries?

It was to these strange thoughts that I fell asleep all curled up.

And I woke up to the feeling of hands groping inside my pockets a few hours later. It was getting dark; through the branches of the forest, I could make out the orange-red colors fading behind the mountains. Along with a hint of purple. Miasma? But no mind. Who was basically molesting me in my sleep?!

I was contemplating moving and attacking whoever it was, but I heard the sound of metal clinking inside a scabbard and lay still, all too aware that my weapon lay in non-use back at the inn. I cursed myself for my stupidity. That's when the two – for a whispered argument soon ensued – stood up and walked a bit away to discuss me.

"She's got nothing on her! What a waste coming all the way to the city!"

"But she's a nice-looking thing. I'm bettin' we could sell her clothes and get a pretty fair price!"

I gulped and faked a yawn while rolling in the direction of the voices. The two jumped at my sudden movement but settled down once they realized that I was "just" rolling over. I opened my eyes a slit and got a glimpse of what exactly was harassing me at this time of night.

There were two of them. A male and a female, both Selkies as determined by their striking good-looks. The woman had blue hair twisted back and spiked up with two long pieces on either side of her face that were blonde. She wore a green leather skirt with a brown belt and black hose that had triangles cut out of them. She had on a tube top that was green and striped along with brown sleeves that ended in large cuffs lined with white fur.

The boy had on a green dress-type thing with a brown cord tied about his waist. His blonde hair was pulled out of his face by a checked bandana. He had brown arm bands and black tights as well, with blue-squared ankle covers over a pair of black flip-flop-like shoes. Both had red triangles painted on their faces. Once I had determined that they had no weapons on them, I jumped up, scaring the crap out of the pair.

"She's awake!" The blonde cried, flailing his arms. His companion slapped the back of his head and he yelped.

"Thanks for the report Captain Obvious," she snarled. She placed her hands on her hips and stuck one out, sizing me up. "She's not that great-looking, Haagi."

I blanched. This cow was gonna get into it with me about looks? I cracked my knuckles and my neck and hopped up and down. "You're so conceited. You know that, don't you, skank?" I told her politely and smiling.

The blue-haired chick took a step toward me, a snarl escaping her throat. Her friend held her arm to keep her back. He whispered some words in her ear and she settled back down. He came forward.

"Hey. Name's Haagi. Now see here, girl. We're not gonna hurt you, we just want everything you've got on you."

I cocked an eyebrow and leapt onto a coiled root. "You've already groped me. Couldn't you tell I didn't have anything?"

"No. I literally mean everything that's on you, dear. Now, if you please. I do so hate to get in a fight if I can avoid it. We're more of a…stealthy duo I guess you could say," Haagi shrugged.

"What's the ho's name?" I asked, jerking my chin towards the fuming Selkie girl behind him.

"I'm Soyar. 'Though I'm starting to think force may be in order to get what we need…" she glared daggers at me. So obvious was the fact that she wanted to snap my neck that I shivered. They advanced on me.

"Woah, woah, woah, you guys. Why do you need my clothes?"

"Because we are bandits, girl. It's nothing personal. We're not gonna gang-bang you if that's what you're thinking," Haagi said. My eyes widened and in an instant, he was behind me, twisting my arms painfully behind my back. I cried out and began screeching, hoping someone would be coming along the road. I bucked my head back and bashed Haagi in the mouth. He screamed and dropped me where I fell among the roots and began crawling out of a location I could hardly get my footing.

All at once, when I moved my hand forward a dagger flew from behind me and buried itself up to the hilt in the root.

**RAC: **Haha! I still have 3 minutes before midnight! So I made my deadline this week! _grin _LoL. Anyways, I was out watching the second Chronicles of Narnia movie with my BF, which is AMAZING, by the way. And yes, this is shameless advertising, so you should TOTALLY go see it. The commercials weren't lieing to you (surprisingly) when they said it was better than the first.


	63. Fire's Embrace

**Gaia**: _sigh _I wish I hadn't survived the stupid door. Everyone keeps picking on me here.

**Mackentosh**: How can you blame them? _smirk_

**Gaia**: You shut up, Ghost.

**Mackentosh**: This ghost can kill you.

**Gaia**: Likewise!

**Sarah**: _gets annoyed and slaps Gaia_

**Gaia**: _holds his cheek_ Owe! That hurt!

**Geoff**: And the dare is complete.

I gulped and leapt up, frightened now.

"S-stay away from me!" I whimpered, backing away and feeling more helpless than I ever had without my weapons. Wait…my chi! I began whirring through the categories of attacks I had logged into my brain and settled on the meteor blast which was sure to do one of three things: a.) kill my assaulters b.) distract them/hurt them enough for me to get away or c.) attract attention of my friends who were sure to be out searching for me.

I pulled my hands up and clenched my fists, preparing the summoning. Haagi rubbed away the blood from his nose to yell out a warning to Soyar.

"Zhe's doing subding zuzbiziouz!"

"Rush her!"

Before they could get at me, I unleashed my attack. The ball of chi rose into the air and came crashing down on us, setting the trees on fire above us. When the smoke cleared enough for me to see I saw that the thieves had survived my attack. They were crouching in the branches of the flaming foliage grinning like Cheshire cats. I gulped. It hadn't worked!

I picked up a fallen bough and waved it threateningly. "Come at me!" I taunted. They obliged and flew at me, using the branches to launch themselves faster than I could follow. They fell into my stomach and sent me sprawling into the dirt. I tried fending them off but it was to no avail. Their hands began undressing me, intent on selling my clothes.

"Watch out!"

And then their weight was gone. I couldn't see now, for all the smoke was obstructing my vision. I wheezed and rolled onto my stomach. They seemed to have left. I clutched my clothes tighter around me and crawled along army-style like I was in the trenches.

I didn't see what fell, I felt it. A heavy, flaming branch had snapped from somewhere above and I didn't see it until it was ten feet up. I tried rolling away, but it crashed on top of my left hand and pinned me there. I let loose a howl that echoed around me.

The fire inched toward me; already I could feel my hand burning from the heat. I could hardly feel anything else, because the weight was making my whole arm go numb. I called out for my friends to save me. For anyone to save me. But there was no answer. I shouted for help of any kind, but there was no answering reply from my savior. So I let my hoarse voice fall silent and lay back and let the fires take me.

**Geoff's POV**

We were searching for that stupid idiot that had run off on her own. After having woken up we went downstairs to find Margaret all in a huff about how Katie had gone missing. I started cussing up a storm and she explained to us that she may have said some "choice words" to Katie that had caused her to get mad and leave the inn. She was gesturing to the door that was propped next to the gaping entrance. I snarled.

All of us went upstairs to our rooms and got our weapons, sure that she would get herself into some sort of danger, since it was Katie and all that. For the next several hours we scoured the city, calling her name, and asking those who knew us if they had seen the pissed-off Katie.

Our efforts were finally rewarded around dusk when a Selkie known as Sojourn told us he had seen Katie blow the door off its hinges and amble towards the back gate. We thanked him profusely and dashed off, praying she wasn't already dead.

It was as we got to the outer wall that there was a cry of alarm from the keepers and the sound of bells coming from within a tower on either side. We looked around us, startled to see townsfolk rush forward with buckets of slopping water. I grabbed the vest of an old Clavat and asked him what those bells meant. He explained that a fire had started in the Old Forest and that the bells were a call for assistance in putting it out. I let go and he rushed on.

"We've gotta hurry!" I cried worriedly.

Together, we shoved through the crowd and ran full-out towards the inferno that was blazing on the edge of a forest. We were the first ones to get there and spread out, trying to find Katie, for there was no doubt she had started this.

Now, I am normally a calm and collected person as you know, but not being able to see through the hazy screen of smoke scared the crap out of me. I called out desperately for Katie, my voice cracking. I dropped to the ground and crawled along like a worm, my arms outstretched, seeking, trying desperately to find some trace of the stupid girl.

My left hand touched something hot and I gasped, getting a mouthful of the toxic black smoke. I hacked up a lung and peered closer at the thing I'd grabbed. It was Katie! But she was trapped underneath a huge burning branch. Her hand was caught underneath it. I got to her other side and called out for help.

As I waited for someone to come help me, I tried pulling Katie from underneath the log. Her hand was caught under it. The sleeve that was on her left hand was burning and I patted it out, afraid already that her hand would be severely burnt. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and I turned to see Jakob gazing at me with intense scrutiny. He gazed hard at me and I moved over so he could see what the situation was.

"Get to that end," the prince pointed me to one end of the wood and I obliged, moving over to make room. "On the count of three, we throw it."

I agreed and he counted down. At three, we heaved the burning log over our heads and tossed it so it went crashing into another burning tree. Its trunk started cracking and leaning dangerously toward us. Jakob grabbed Katie in his arms and gingerly folded her arms in. She looked so small and frail. Her clothes were burnt in places and she was coated with soot. There was a great sound of cracking timber and I looked up in time to see that the tree we had launched the log at was falling at us.

"Watch out!" I bellowed. I shoved the two away from the site with all the strength I could muster. But it was too late for me. The tree fell, slamming into me with all of its might. I crumpled beneath its weight, instantly blacking out.

"GEOFFREY!!"

**Jakob's POV**

That fool! I couldn't believe that retarded bandit leader would sacrifice himself like that! I put Katie down and ran around, calling out for Amy, Sarah, Nich, Gaia, anyone that I knew had been around when we split up. Villagers darted past me, dumping buckets of water on everything. I grabbed a Liltian child that had been allowed to help and pointed at Katie's wavering shape.

"Get her out of here!" I bellowed.

The child appeared frightened, but ran and grabbed Katie, throwing her around his shoulders as best he could. I waited until the two of them had vanished before Sarah and Gaia appeared both out of breath and blackened by smoke and dirt.

"Geoffrey…he! He's fallen!" I panted, gesturing hysterically to the burning tree. I felt hot tears fall out of my eyes. Wails were seconds from following them. My friend! I didn't want this to happen! The two of them didn't question me and we ran back to the site where Geoff had fallen.

"Where is he?!" Gaia asked. I pointed to the center of the twisting branches on top of the tree. He kicked around and we saw Geoff's body, bleeding and probably broken, nestled among the fire and dead grass.

"Get him out!" I begged, wringing my hands.

Sarah nodded gravely and jumped into the mass of brushwood, thrashing wildly to keep the fires from sucking her dry too. She bent down and grabbed Geoff's unmoving body from its position. His skin was bright red and his hair burning on the ends. Gaia reached out and slapped it out. I let out a sigh of relief and punched myself.

"We need to get out of here!" Gaia told us. We nodded and rushed away, carrying Geoff's body between us.

The blazing trees became but blackened and twisted stumps as we came to the end of the fire. The smoke gave way to clean oxygen and we all fell as soon as we were out of range. The soft piles of ash around us provided comfort. We heaved and hacked and lay listlessly in the soot until the Lilty I had sent out earlier came over to me and said…that she was all right.

I let out a groan and all went dark.

**Margaret's POV**

I felt bad enough when I made the young Kaitlyn mad, but I felt even worse when I saw her be carried in by the townsfolk as if she were an honored dead hero. I almost fell over myself when Jakob, Geoff, Gaia, and Sarah were also carried in. The rest of their little group stumbled in coughing up ash and blood. I was in a frenzy, all worried and scared that one of them was dead. I lead the people holding them up the stairs and to their respective rooms.

When I went to check immediately on Jake – he was my nephew after all – I was shunned away by Nich who stood his wobbly ground with me and told me that Geoff had better be looked after first as he was in a worse condition than Jakob was. I did as I was told and my face fell when I examined the boy.

His whole body was burnt and bloodied, bits of skin falling away and flaking off. It repulsed me to touch him, but I got my medical things and did him up as best I could. I tended to the others until they all went into a drug-induced sleep. I sighed and left them all to their business.


	64. Farewell Margaret

**Sarah**: Dare? _pauses_ Oh right. The dare. Yeah.

**Gaia**: That really hurt.

**Katie**: Are you _a little unpleased_ crying?

**Gaia**: No! _turns away and sniffles with tears in his right eyes_

**Mackentosh**: Well it is your turn, Surrah.

**Sarah**: _sighs_ All right. _looks at everyone at least once or twice_ I choose…

**Three Weeks Later: Katie's POV**

I woke up again midway through the night and sat up, panting heavily and sweating. The nightmare of being caught in the fire still haunted me, as did another issue: we were staying here too long. The party had been great, with all of us having fun despite our burns and smoke-inhalation problems. But that problem kept nagging me.

Several times I had brought it up with the others and they agreed with me, but we were still unable to find a moment to break it to Margaret that we needed to go. The Chalice stood as a testament to that; its silent vigil on the bureau troubled me. So tonight I was setting my plan into motion.

I crept around to the others and tapped them awake. They blinked blearily at me.

"We're leaving now," I told them.

"In the middle of the night? But Katie--!" Amy complained, yawning. I interrupted her by placing a finger to her lips.

"We'll never leave otherwise, and you know that, Amy. We've got to go when no one will expect it. Now get everyone ready, I'm waking up the boys."

But when I got to their room, they were all already to go, fully-dressed and everything. It was still weird looking at Geoff with his stub of a ponytail. The fire had burned off a lot of his beautiful tresses, reducing him to a Miroku-like state. I smiled at them all and they followed me into the hall, shutting their door quietly.

"I'll go get some food, Katie," Jake said, tip-toeing off. Good thought. I nodded and gathered the girls. Together we made as little noise as possible as we made our escape. I walked to the back of the counter on the ground floor and pulled out a slip of paper and a quill, preparing to write a good-bye letter to Margaret to explain everything. The others sat at the tables and dozed a little, their heads nodding.

I dipped my pen in the ink and began:

_Hey Margaret. By the time you find this letter, we will all have gone on our journey. It's hard to talk about good-byes since I've hardly had more fun a time than I have with you. But I know you'll understand since you've done so much for us. I've come to realize that life isn't the easiest time to go through; for you or for us. I mean, you've lost your home, your family, and now your children, who are us, by the way. Most of us are burdened with a memory of an old home, and the others are basically idiots with powers beyond their control. No offense meant of course. More to the point, the right words just don't seem to be able to come out._

_We've gone through so much together and a lot of it was my fault and I don't blame you for any of the horrible things you've said to me. Why smile if it isn't real, right? I feel I understand you a little bit now and I feel like I'm taking on your feelings as I go on this journey. But both of us will have to look on the bright side of things now. I know that sounds like something Amy would say, but yeah. Life is a bitch to everyone at some point in time, and we're no exception. I've made some irrational decisions and lost people close to me for them. I want you to be happy, Margaret, and I know Jakob would want you to be as well. The blood that runs through your veins is like no other's in the world. You're one of a kind. I know that is so cliché but I had to say it. Margaret, I wanted to apologize for everything I have hampered you with. It was my fault Justine made the stupid decisions she did. I have done so many things I want to take back._

_I cannot even begin trying to explain how often I wanted to kill myself for what has happened. I wanted to be reunited with my friend, Mackentosh, in Heaven. But I didn't, because the peace I found here lifted me above such selfish thoughts. I vow to protect your city with my life to the very end. I thought for weeks about everything that had occurred while I was resting which seemed to be quite often. How we seemed to be wasting time. I know you probably think this is unlike me, but I was feeling about leaving you much sooner than this, without even a note to explain anything. I was about ready to break, but you gave me faith. You always smiled for all of us, and when my friends are happy, I am happy. But when you smiled I could see that you knew something would soon be happening. I felt responsible for the sorrow I began seeing behind your eyes. There was nothing I could do for you, and even now, I am causing you more hurt._

_I hope that some day you'll find it in your big heart to forgive me. I've caused so much damage to your life that I won't blame you if you don' forgive met. I've caused you so much pain and misery. I'm sorry and wish I could take it all back. But I cannot, and for some reason I am happy, because it has helped me be who I am today. You have great friends in this city; Johavsven, your roomies, everyone seems to love you. They will be there for you since we will not be able to anymore. Never give up, and don't lose faith in us, for we will come back some day – we've got to fill up that Crystal after all! Whatever may happen to us, it is no one's fault but ours. Do not blame yourself by saying you should have kept us in Alfitaria, for we would have left eventually. Margaret, I'm sorry. Truly, I am. I hope you'll find happiness and a good life for the time being. Please, not only for yourself, but for the sake of those who love you, ourselves included, always stay strong. I love you Margaret, and we will always watch over you, send you letters when we can._

_Sincerely and always,_

_The Caravan Tsiknus_

My body shook with sobs, splattering drops of tears on the paper. I dropped the pen and covered my eyes. While I had been writing, the others had gathered around me and read. Their eyes shone with pride at having me as leader. Amy came forward and pressed into my hands the chalice. I took it and hugged it. Jakob had distributed to everyone backpacks of food. A new lantern was cradled in Sarah's arms along with the money pouch.

"We've gotta give Johavsven the money," she said, jangling the bag. I nodded and stood up.

"Let's go, everyone," I whispered.

I lead the way out of the front door which had only recently been fixed. We marched across the eerily quiet ground with only moonlight guiding us. We walked by the Crystal in the town square, and left all of the money on Jo's doorstep, not entirely guaranteeing that it would be safe. I prayed that it would be and fingered the Rune Sword that was at my hip. We turned our backs on his shop and went on our way, heading towards the back gate.

The guards gazed at us oddly, seeing our group all geared up, but let us through the gates with no questions because we were the heroes! I brandished the Chalice at them and the huge gates opened before us. Sarah lit the lantern with some oil and her chi and we were off again. The burnt grass crackled beneath our feet as we walked, still without a word.

We passed over hills and valleys. Soon enough, we had left the city far behind. The comforting atmosphere was soon replaced by darkness that crept up on us from all sides.

"The Chalice should activate some time soon…," Gaia said softly, possibly to himself. I raised an eyebrow at him, but then the Chalice did begin to hum and the jewel on the pointed curve at the top glowed brightly before shooting through me straight to my feet and spreading out to form a glowing blue bubble that arched high over our heads. I'm going to say that it was about a hundred feet in diameter. I gawked.

"So does this mean we're in Miasma now?" I asked Gaia. We all looked at him, but still walked along. He nodded.

Hanna walked to the end of the bubble and poked a hand out. Instantly, purple fog seemed to lurch for her. She yelped and pulled her hand back in. The sears on her hand healed after a while and we all marveled.

"You'll be healed automatically after a while, as long as you don't stray too far out of the area," Gaia explained, nodding sagely. We took his word without argument, since we knew nothing about this new handicap.

So while we walked, we talked. About nothing in particular, and about everything. Jakob kept bringing up his aunt, but that was a subject I quickly shot down, saying that if we didn't forget about Margaret that we wouldn't be able to go on with a clear conscious. He huffed indignantly and flipped up his shorted bangs that just barely covered one eye. I rolled mine at him.

And this continued on for I didn't know how long. We slept, got up, and continued walking in whatever way seemed best. It wasn't until now that I realized we had no map. I could've killed myself! But I didn't, and we merely followed whatever paths were available, sometimes going over small mountains as well. The monsters we faced were creatures we hadn't yet battled and already, we had sustained several injuries. But luckily we had our Hanna, who was a master at healing. It was thanks to her thinking back before we'd left that we had a stock of potions with us.

It was weird though, when a break in our routine came in the form of a few Lilties wearing and a Moogle that flew around the biggest one's head in short circles. He had two wagons, and both were pulled off the main road. He hailed us over and we went.


	65. Magecite Training

**Katie: **Hey there and welcome back.

**Audience**: _cheers and claps_

**Katie**: You know, I just realized something kind of funny about my characters? I just realized that Jakob and Geoffrey are idiots.

**Audience**: _laughs_

**Jakob and Geoffrey Fans**: Boo!!

**Katie**: _rolls eyes_ Hey, I love the two idiots as much as the next person.

**Audience**: _go silent_

**Katie**: Never mind. Back to the show and enjoy.

**Audience**: _claps and cheers_

**Katie: **_glares at the audience_ Stupid people.

"Hail, fair travelers. Come. Talk with me for a bit, eh?" he asked. The Lilty's ring of Chalice protection was brushing against ours, but just on the edges. This was causing a strange sparking sensation, much like one of those globe things where you touch it and lightning-like beams shoot away from you. We advanced cautiously until our circles were completely enveloped in each other and the electricity vanished. The short male reached up a hand. I, at the head as normal, shook his gloved hand roughly. We hadn't seen any sign of one of the four types of civilians since Alfitaria. It was kind of awkward to speak with a person that wasn't part of our caravan.

"My name is Sol Racht, by the way. Who're you fine folks? You seem to have been traveling for some time," and Sol Racht surveyed our filthy clothes that lay beneath shining armor, the only seemingly clean part of our group. We had no wagon or horses to help pull our things, and had to lug all of our own things around ourselves, which hardened our muscles and beat us into shape, however unwillingly. Even I, the "noodle" of the bunch, had developed some strength. Enough to lug around a few boulders whenever Gaia's sexual advances got too out of hand or someone else pissed me off. I cast my friends a wary glance as if asking if I should tell this seemingly obtuse Lilty who we were and where we came from. They shrugged nonchalantly.

"We are the caravan Tsiknus, hailing from Alfitaria. I am Katie, and these are my caravaners," I said formally, bowing at the waist. The Lilty acknowledged them all with a small wave, to which none of them returned. He smiled none the less and barged right into our group, scattering us in a shock as he spoke.

"So you walked _here _all the way from Alfitaria? No wagon or anything? Not even a Moogle to carry your Chalice?" he gazed quizzically at the Chalice in question, which I had balanced on top of my head. I tossed him a scathing look.

'Some of us do not live the catered life, Sir," Jakob said testily. This didn't really mean much to the rest of us, as he was a prince and all. Gaia punched him on the arm and the two burst into an angry squabble. Sol Racht tut-tutted and gazed up at me through his helm. I crossed my arms defensively and tapped my foot.

"Was there anything we could help you with, Sol Racht? Because we are very busy. We need to get to Veo lu Sluice--," I was interrupted by Nich who muttered,

"_Yeah _we do. _If _we had a map. Which Katie was conveniently stupid enough _not _to get," under his breath. I picked up a pebble from the ground and chucked it at his head. He ducked just in time and it spiraled into the trunk of a tree behind him. He stuck his tongue out at me.

"I was thinking that I may be of some help to you and your group. As you can see, we've got more than enough supplies here. We were just heading on back to our home town to drop off some Myrrh—," here he pointed to another Moogle that twittered out from behind one of the wagons with a Chalice that was filled with Myrrh. It dropped the Chalice at Sol Racht's feet and said in a slightly-annoying-kind-of-high-off-helium-sort-of-voice,

"Oi! 'Ello, blokes! My name's Lebal. What'cha need Sol Racht?"

My eyes widened in surprise. This was my first experience with a Moogle. Much less a _talking _one. And it was so cute! The Moogle before me was under two feet tall with squinty eyes and a red bulb on a string of hair that bounced around. It had small purple wings and wore a tunic that was orange, green, and red striped with alternating red triangles on the green rows. It smiled up at me, revealing two buck teeth.

I grinned hungrily at the thing and it scurried behind Sol Racht who bent down and began having a hushed convo with the thing.

"Listen, Lebal, this is the caravan Tsiknus. As you can see, they are not a very well-organized caravan. I want you to go with them and lighten the load a bit. You've traveled so much, you know the way around the whole earth. They've got no clue where they're going. I want you to take care of them."

The Moogle wailed.

"But I don' wanna go wit' 'dem! That freakishly tall one, she wants ta eat me, I swea' it!"

"No, no, Label. Trust me. I know they're good people. And I also know I'll be seeing you around these parts. After all, my own caravan is far from over. I'll be spending my whole life roaming the planet."

"But what if--!"

"No ifs, little one. Now git. I'm gonna give them the wagon on the right as well. We'll just need to move our supplies out a bit. But we'll give 'em a kick of something else before we let them be on their way…"

"You mean the Magicite, Sir? Fine. I'll 'elp the things since you don' know a thing 'bout what 'chour doin'," and the Moogle zoomed off to the wagon the two had discussed and came out a moment later with a small chest clutched in its long toes. It dropped the chest at Sol Racht's feet.

"Now, my friends. We have here some fine Magecite. They're like small crystals you can use to control the elements, and even bring a person back from the dead! But those Magecite are some of the hardest to get, and you generally can't find them until you're right by the boss and by then, they're generally stomped on or something. Label here's gonna show you the ropes on how to use Magecite. If you'll just follow him on down that path there--," he pointed towards some trees which lined the grove that had a break through which a sandy path broke and lead down, "—you'll find a nice beach. You can each have a Magecite to take with you too."

"Fine. We'll take your gifts. Thanks," I grabbed the chest and tucked it under my arm. Lebal twittered ahead of me and took the lot of us through the trees to a beautiful little cove whose shore rippled with perfect blue waves. For a moment, I was distracted.

"Holy crap, man! How far have we traveled you guys?!" Geoffrey yelped uncharacteristically in a high-pitched voice. He ran to the water and splashed around in it, giving off the air of a man who had been living in the desert for years and hadn't seen water his whole life. When he turned around, he immediately trudged out, all man once more. He resumed his gruff personality and asked the question again.

"Well, judging the distance from the capital and all that…," Jakob piped up, counting out who knew what on his fingertips. "We've come about 432 miles…Yeah, that sounds about right…So about 1/10 across this continent. Amazing, isn't it?"

My mouth fell open. (**RAC: **I really have no clue how far they've traveled. If it should be longer or shorter, please give me a better answer. I can hardly remember how long they've been in this world at all. XD)

"Oi! You gonna listen to me or wha'? 'Cause I ain't gonna explain this to ya' more 'n' once. Even if I _do _have ta' travel wit'cha,"

I batted the little thing away from my face and pulled open the chest, settling it down in the sand. Inside lay several glowing orbs all colors of the rainbow. The Moogle flew in front of me and we all gathered around it as best we could while he showed us what each "Magecite" as they'd called it did. This is a simplified version of what I gathered; because Lebal used many words I wasn't able to understand which eventually lead to me tuning him out:

**Green**: Cure. When combined with one or more other Cures, it can perform a spell that automatically restores full vitality to your party members.

**Red**: Fire. Enhances or bestows the power of fire to its possessor. If you broke open pots of oil and cast this spell on them, it would cast a magic fire that if an enemy walked through it, would burn until they died.

**Yellow**: Lightning. Gives you shocky-type powers. By this time, I'd learned that all the Magecite's abilities could be increased if you combined them with another spell.

**White**: Clear. If you were poisoned, burnt, frozen, etc. by an enemy, this would cleanse you of all abnormalities. Useful.

**Gold**: Life. Obviously, it would bring you back from the dead. No other explanation needed.

**White-Blue**: Snow and Ice. You could instantly coat anything in ice.

And that was pretty much it. I focused back in, wiping the drool from the corner of my mouth when Lebal began distributing a Magecite to everyone at random. I got Fire. I small smile began to creep onto my face which resulted in it being swiped by Amy and replaced with her Ice one. I frowned. She giggled and moved to the other side of our protective barrier.

"How're we supposed to use these things, anyway Lebal?" Geoff asked huffily, hefting the small sphere back in his arm and acting like he was going to chuck it into the water. The Moogle flew up to him and flapped its wings impatiently.

"Hold on, young 'un! I'm getting' there. Just gimme a moment, a'ight?" He turned and grabbed the Chalice from atop my head and moved it to the center of the beach. We all hurried forward so we wouldn't be hurt by the Miasma. "Y'see. Ya gotta fuse yourself with the Magecite. It can be painful if ya don't know how, which is why you've gotta be kinda strong, see? And they'll…come back up afterwards."

"That still doesn't answer my question!" Geoff snapped.

Whether or not the Moogle heard him, he chose to ignore the comment and called Sarah up. He took her Lightning Magecite in his mouth and spoke around it.

"Ya' gotta swalloh' i' I say. It' cahn beh hahd and painful. So ya might need hehp the fihst time. Like this," and he launched the GameCube game sized sphere into Sarah's mouth. Instantly she began choking and clutched her throat.

**RAC: **Dearest readers, you are not forgotten! _falls dramatically on knees_ OK. Enough with that. Anyways, the midwest's been getting hit repeatedly with these severe thunderstorms, and ever since May 29th or something, my internet's been jank and not able to connect. So that's why I haven't updated the past 2 weeks. There's that and the fact I've only got 1 and 1/2 chapters of back log. This story's caught up with me too quick! So please be patient, as Saturday may or may not be my regular update day because of that. Thanks!


	66. Sol Racht

**Sarah**: sighs All right. _looks at everyone at least once or twice_ I choose…

**Gaia**: _Not me, not me, please not me. Haven't I suffered enough?_

**Geoffrey**: _Choose the blond idiot. He hasn't suffered enough!_

**Katie** **and** **Mackentosh**: _I know who she's choosing and it isn't me. Today's a good day._

**Nich**: _I wonder if she's choosing me. If she does - Oh man! - she might dare me to do something bad. I have to remember to choose truth. It's safer. No wait! It'll make me seem like a coward! No wait…Okay brain, shut up and smile!_ smiles

**Sarah**: I choose Jakob.

"AAH! What've you done you crazy bastard?!" I shrieked. Hanna was frantically going through her medicinal bag looking for something that would help.

"No, no. She won't die," Lebal looked at Sarah and said clearly, "Sarah, my dear. Use your chi. Dissolve it. Make it disappear inside you." He turned to us. "The effects are only temporary, so you'll have to destroy other monsters to get more Magecite. That's one benefit of coming out into the Wild. There're plenty of them ta go 'round."

While he was explaining this, Sarah had focused on the blockade in her throat until she felt something cold burst and slide thick and smooth downward to her stomach. She shivered and began feeling little shocks inside herself.

"What the heck?!" She leapt up. Little sparks were shooting out of her fingers. I couldn't help but laugh now that I'd seen she was OK.

"It's like the Fourth of July!" I said.

"Not funny!" Sarah cried, waving her hands at me and sending a small wave of electricity at the same time. I yelped and dove out of the way even though it couldn't have been anything more than static.

The Moogle seemed pleased with himself. He placed his small hands on his hips and landed on the soft sand by the chest.

"What're you all waiting for? You need to get your first tastes of Magecite don't you? And you, I believe, were complaining about needing to get going again?" he looked smugly at me. I flipped him off and swallowed my Magecite.

It was a weird feeling. Felt like I was filling up with water from the inside and was inflating like a balloon even though I knew I wasn't, because I was gazing at my hands the whole time this was happening. When I held them up close to my face I could see small frozen drops of water on them. When I moved my hands and concentrated I found I could make snow appear. But that didn't come as much of a surprise, so I walked into the water while the others began to either get instructions from the annoyingly cocky Lebal or messing around, attacking with each other. When I turned back for a moment, I saw Amy going after Jake with a ball of fire. I turned my attention back to the waves and concentrated on turning them to ice.

I leaked out my pink chi and the ice from my fingers and closed my eyes, thinking intently. It wasn't until someone cried out from the shore that I broke out of my reverie. I let out a moan.

I had frozen myself up to my waist in the water.

My friends were cackling and Amy walked towards me over my ice, acting all cocky.

"Oh, go back to your molestation, Amy. I can handle this," I told her. She bent down and began slowly melting a frozen pool around me. I angrily thought about taking back the frost and BOOM she fell in with a tremendous splash. When she came up she glared death at me and I took off down the shore, keeping inside the Chalice's circle of protection still.

"I think Katie is gonna need some more help, Lebal," Gaia said chipperly, sounding oddly like a proud parent after seeing their chid topple off the stage in a school play.

Lebal groaned loudly and smacked his forehead, knowing it was true.

We decided to make camp there on the sand for the night. Lebal had soon grown impatient with my "rudeness" and "appetitive" advances and called it quits as soon as the sun showed signs of disappearing behind the islands off in the distance. So we walked back to where Sol Racht and his wagons stood and were met with a round of laughter on his part. He called us all "young rascals with no taste yet of the real world" even though I felt I had seen and knew more than he ever would. I held back my ice powers with a force of will I didn't think I had.

Sol Racht gave us all dinner. Some bread he called Bannock that he had gotten from a troop of Yukes seen passing through, and Rainbow Grapes. He tried making small talk but I found his voice irritating and didn't answer any of his questions. But Gaia, for some strange reason, took a liking to this Lilty and engaged him in conversation, which kept him in my sights longer than I liked. But all "good" things must come to an end, and Sol Racht explained to us that he had to get going. Lebal handed over the chest that had the Magecite in it and got a farewell pat on the head.

He asked us for our help in transferring some of the luggage from the wagon he was giving to us to the one he was taking. There were a lot of interesting things in the back, but I resisted all temptation on asking him about them. Gaia, typically, could not, and held up a glowing crystal ring to the setting sun. It cast out rainbow beams in all directions.

"What's this, Sol Racht?"

The Lilty trundled over and took it from Gaia's hands, turning it over and making me think he forgot where he'd found it at.

"This is a Crystal Ring, Lad. It gives you a miniscule ring of about 5 feet in diameter or protection from Miasma. So you can break off from your group if you need to. You need to have a Tiny Crystal, some silver, and 1200 Gil."

"And Gil is…what exactly?" I asked, unfamiliar with any type of currency than the Heroin. I jangled the pouch on my belt, thinking it would be unusable in other locations.

"It's just money, Kate. Only, there's no classification. It's all gold. And it randomly comes out of the monsters you destroy" Sol Racht explained. I nodded and continued with my chores. I dropped a tub of some Strange Liquid onto the other wagon and wiped the sweat from my face. I moved out of the way of the others who were finishing up and walked over to the short Lilty.

"Well, Sol Racht, this is where we part ways," I said, not sounding all that hurt as my words may have. He nodded and grabbed my hand in his, shaking it firmly.

"Oh, before I forget…," he jumped into his wagon and rummaged around in the back of it for a while, finally emerging with a roll of parchment which he handed to me. "It's the newest map of the continent. You said you didn't have one right?" I thanked him and watched as he leapt onto the horse at the head of one of his wagons and galloped away, the animals seeming to have a bit of trouble with the extra weight.

"Why don't we take a look at the map, Kate?" Amy asked, pointing to the scroll I held. I nodded my agreement and grabbed the lantern from the large pile of our packs. Lebal took the Chalice and plopped it into the middle of our circle. I had Amy help me roll out the paper which ended up being about fifteen feet long. We placed some rocks on either end and gazed down into the swirl of colors and pictures which Sol Racht must've added because some had little inked-on drawings of grotesque-looking beasts.

I scanned the sheet, looking for Alfitaria which I would start from. I found it and put a finger on it. "So. How far do you think we've come?" I asked Jakob, hoping he'd come out atleast this far in his other journeys. The prince twisted his long bangs in his fingers, a habit I noticed he did when he was thinking after a while. His eyes darted over the map, calculating.

"About 75 miles. We're here," he placed a thumb on a dwindling little path located on the map and everyone groaned. "And so…" his eyes searched the parchment for "Conal Kurach" but they fell off the paper. "What's that mean?" he asked Lebal.

"No one that's ever gone into Conal Kurach has ever come out alive. So naturally, there's going to be no official map of it," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders as if this should have been obvious. I gulped. The next closest blot on the map that was depicting an important area was a green oval-shaped place labeled "Veo lu Sluice". Around the slanted writing was a small picture of a cobweb and a little fireball.

"That's weird," I said. Lebal nodded as if remembering passing through the area on his expeditions with Sol Racht.

"Veo lu Sluice. There're some really powerful monsters there. They fly. You'll have to use Gravity to pull them down. It's gonna make 'em a lot easier to fight. When I was there, there were a ton of these impenetrable barriers that reminded me of a spider's eggs. No matter what we did to 'em we couldn't get through. We burned through them and it worked. So that's what those little pictures mean." The Moogle was going to be useful. Getting some help from Gaia and Momo, I wrapped up the huge map and tucked it into my belt, next to my sword. I twisted my leg to make sure it wasn't going to get too damaged before gazing at my friends.

"And we're off to Veo lu Sluice!"

" **RAC: **_loud trumpet horns _Hurray! After almost a month of missed updates, my internet is back up! I can update for about...not that long actually. _sweatdrop. _I hardly have anymore backlog story and if I force myself to write, then it comes out trash. But never fear. If I update, it will be always on a Saturday, and this story won't ever stop until I completely finish it. So we're cool. Don't worry! I've still got a bit of story left. _panic_

In other, random facts of my life, my driveway got paved! XD _falls over anime-style _Really pointless, I know. But thought you guys should know. We had been the only people in MILES who still had gravel. So now we are part of the conformity. XD.


	67. We're on our Way

**Jakob**: _blinks _Wow. I've been chosen. I'll take dare.

**Katie and Mackentosh**: _You won't be smiling for long, cross dresser._

**Sarah**: I dare you to wear a pink, frilly dress until someone, besides yourself, dares you to take it off. _smirks_

**Jakob**: Well, I may not be a cross dresser, but all right. Does anyone have a pink, frilly dress?

**Momo**: Check upstairs, I think Katie might have a dress that's pink and frilly inside her room.

**Jakob**: Excellent idea. _gets up and goes upstairs into Katie's room._

**Nich**: I can't believe you dared him that.

**Geoff**: I can't believe he's actually doing it.

And what a journey it was. Lebal hadn't exactly warned us about the beasts we were going to be facing on the way to this town that had been overrun by the monsters centuries ago. Water Flans seemed to be popping out left and right and we were wet probably 99 of the time. But, 'though frequent and highly annoying, were easily dispatched by Hanna, our resident Magecite champion. On one particular nasty day when the sky was gruel-gray and seemed to be pissing on us constantly with the monsters, and we were taking shelter in a cave around a bend that over-looked a river, a horde of Vampire Bats swarmed us, beating their wings furiously and darting around our swords and our chi attacks. The Magecite was left with Lebal who flew around as well, carrying the Chalice and trying to keep everyone within our ring of protection.

I was already in a foul mood because of the weather, and getting reckless and charged into a loop of the monsters, slashing furiously. And I got a bite on the back of my neck, of course. It didn't really come as a surprise to me really, seeing's how me getting myself into trouble had become something of an agenda that I needed to fill every day. But the burning agony I felt afterwards was totally not what I had been expecting. It was like fire had exploded inside my body and I collapsed, gripping my neck so hard in my hands that I hasn't been paying attention to the small little fact that I had been strangling myself. I was rescued by Gaia who scooped me up and collected everyone together. We fought our way back out into the rain and knelt by the river.

Hanna rustled through her bag and pulled out an antidote which she poured onto my wound and spread around after cleaning her hands in the water. And so, my happy day had come to an end with everyone being totally soaked and sleeping by a dangerously-close-to-flooding body of water. Oh joy. On the bright side, once a few of us had gotten our strength back we crept back into the cave and collected the money and such things that had been dropped. It was a good haul.

Lebal pointed out to us a few days later that Veo lu Sluice was really quite nearer than we had imagined. Our moods still hadn't climbed any higher though and we paid him no attention, just followed the path we were on. Until a caravan of people wearing golden armor appeared. We pulled over to let them pass us, but they stopped: our first contact with anyone since Alfitaria. I got a good look at these people and guessed them to be monks of some sort, although two were female. But the males had the metal stooped hats typically seen in manga (alas, something that I am unable to forget) and so I deemed them thus. They also had these weird kerchiefs around their necks and the caravan sparkled as if laden with treasure.

"Hello there, kind travelers. Who among you is leader?" The man with floppy brown hair and beard and a large scythe asked, bowing and swooping his weapon. He scanned us as if thinking the leader would be the strongest looking. So he approached Momo. "It is you, correct?"

Momo blanched and backed away, shaking her head. The man seemed unperturbed and proceeded to ask Jakob and then Amy if they were the one leading this group. I called him to me before Geoff attacked him with indignation that he though he didn't look like a leader. The monk approached me doubtfully and I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"What business do you have with us?" I asked him. The monk clasped his hands and bowed again. I stayed quiet.

"We have rubies we are selling, Miss. Are you interested?"

So that was what was glittering in the back of the wagon. There sure were a lot of them.

"How much for how many?"

"5 for 250 Gil."

Exchanging a glance with my group, I shrugged, deciding I felt sorry for this man for some odd reason. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but I settled with the thought that he reminded me of a traveling salesman. Yeah, that must've been it. I felt sorry for the salesmen in my time, and so I was giving back to those in this time. I gave the man a dazzling smile as we made the exchange. He appeared unnerved and he and his group disappeared almost immediately afterward. Nobody questioned what I had done.

So it was on a dark but unseasonably warm evening (RAC: Wait….they've been here about 7 or eight months now...I'll just say that since they're getting closer to Conal Kurach, it's getting warmer. Think of it like Mordor. It's hell. XP) that I spotted a mass of darkness on the horizon. I pointed this out to Amy as we warmed our feet by the fire Hanna had cast. That was how I had seen the town to begin with. She looked over my shoulder and nodded. She moved off to tell the others that we were nearing our destination. The first she told was the prince. I felt something stirring in my chest but kept quiet. I had known Amy's feelings for a while after all. It shouldn't have surprised me so much. I quieted my mind and unfurled my sleeping bag.

In the morning as everyone stirred and scrounged up a breakfast, I looked up at Veo lu Sluice with the sun rising on it. An eerie green glow seemed to have settled over the place. I unfurled the map again to look at how big the location was. It was small, thank the lord. My prayers having been answered. I rolled up the chart and sealed it with a snap.

It soon became apparent that Lebal carrying the Chalice would come in handy for as soon as we passed below the crumbling arch "welcoming" people into this "beautiful" city, two of our first monsters stampeded toward us with malicious intent. A Gigan Toad and a Lizardman. Hanna froze but Sarah had a savage look on her face as if she wanted to get revenge for her shield that had been cracked months ago. I resisted trying to point out to her that Johavsven had been the one to break it and silenced myself by swallowing a Blizzard Magecite. Shaking the cold from my skin, I darted forward with Amy and Jakob hot on my heels.

The Lizardman let out a shriek and tried to take off my head with a fell swoop of its blade, but I ducked crawled beneath its legs to give it a kick in the butt. It whirled around while I laughed and jumped up. Feinting to the left and dodging behind Jake, I started to summon up my Blizzard powers. Gaia was truly showing us what a bastard he could be by showing off with the Gigan Toad. At times he worked amazingly well with Hanna, Sarah, and Nich, but the other half of the time he would go off on his own and leap spectacularly onto the Toad's back, causing it to panic and stumble about, almost crushing Sarah who had been about to unleash a Power Kick on it.

I turned my attention back to my fight and called for Amy, Jake, and Geoff who had appeared out of nowhere, to get out of there. I opened my mouth and blew out a great gust of freezing snow which gripped the Lizard to the ground and caused him to start going berserk. I cocked an eyebrow but Geoff silenced it by chopping off its head and nonchalantly ripping out its teeth. He stood with his arm up to his elbow in blood, both hands gripping copulas numbers of teeth, some of which still had meat dripping from the ends of them. Behind him, the Lizard was disappearing in a cloud of pyreflies to be replaced by some bronze and jagged shards.

"Wha-at? Mackenzie said that they were good!"

We sighed and helped the others to finish their fight. But with Gaia showing off like he was, it took a minute. I knocked him off the monster by throwing the map like a javelin at him. It hit him below the jaw and he fell backwards, clutching his throat for air.

"Do not worry, Katie! I still love you!"

"Damn. And I was hoping to hit you in the eye and blind you, you bastard," I grumbled darkly. The Clavat snatched the map and propped it up against a wall before helping us kill the Toad. It fell successfully and the traditional rain of pyreflies came forth. Some toad gel followed it and I went about gathering everything together. I stuffed it into who ever's pack was the most empty and followed the wall the map was lain against.

"You an' yer young friends 'ave been trainin' well, Katie. Yer quite strong. Not like you were back with those Vampire Ba-,"

I silenced the Moogle with a glare. He fluttered back to fly in the center of our group.

Not long after, a chest appeared, though it was behind a glutinous-looking glob of webbing that was taller than I was.

"This is what that picture of a web was talking about, Katie. Go on, try cutting it. See what your sword can do," Lebal was saying from behind me.

I was reminded rather forcefully of a time back in River Belle Path that I had tried hacking into a block of wood and succeeded in doing nothing more than cutting a quarter-inch cut in it. I blushed embarrassingly and snarled a reply. Coming closer so that I wouldn't be within the Miasma's grip, Lebal told me again to attack the netting. I went up and lamely poked it. The tip of my sword went in a little bit but once removed the hole was filled again. Reminded me of putty. I turned, still beet-red. I was engulfed in Gaia's embrace afterward.

"See? My Katie can't do anything! Now don't you go blaming her you horrible Moogle!" He cried defensively, clutching me tighter. His attention made me go even redder, although it was with rage this time. I heaved up my Blizzard orb onto him and he jumped away, swiping at the spot. I grinned triumphantly and tossed to orb to Sarah who opened her hands to catch it and tossed it into her bag which had the Magecite in it. But Gaia was not to be swayed so easily. He grabbed my chin in his and placed a bit fat kiss on my lips.

**RAC: **Yaaay for random update days! D Sorry for last week and such, I was in TN with techonologically-retarded grandparents who have no computer. XD. LoL. Anyway, next chapter might be the last for a LOOONG time. Just saying. I've run out of backlog story! Dammit! . Anyway, I'm doing this today, because tomorrow...

DUM DA DUUUM!!

I leave for an anime convention! It's called Ikasucon and is in Fort Wayne, IN. Starts this Friday, but it takes a while to get there from where I live, so we're leaving a day ahead. So I won't be here on Saturday, 'cause it's a 3-day thing. Also, Nich broke up with me back on the 5th. Over an e-mail. So yah! That's what my life's been about.

3 ya'll!


	68. Competition?

**Nich**: What's a cross dresser?

**Sarah**: A person who wears both woman and men's clothing.

**Nich**: Can I do it?

**Momo**: _looks stunned_

**Katie**: Nich, there is only one answer to that question.

**Mackentosh**: No. You'll give your lover a heart attack.

**Amy**: By the look on her face I think she might have already had a heart attack.

**Sarah**: I think she's just stunned.

My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. I vaguely remember seeing Jakob look like he was wishing he had a machine gun – if he knew what one was, of course – before I couldn't see through the haze of my rage. I lifted Gaia above my head and launched him over the globby barrier. He landed in a heap of arms and legs and wood. And a crunch. I huffed and grabbed a hold of Amy who patted my arm sympathetically as if she was used to seeing me get sexually harassed by boys all the time in our world. Which was never. It was becoming a regular experience though.

Jakob went up to Sarah and asked for a Fire Magecite which she expertly grabbed from her pack without having to take it off and tossed to him. He swallowed it in one try and stomped forward to the barrier where Gaia was opening the chest, looking furious. Geoff looked on coolly as if this was just a rather stupid soap opera. The prince blasted through the web like a dragon and threw Gaia out of his way so he could peer into the chest. The Clavat rubbed his chest with a slight frown on his face.

"Geez, Jakie. No need to get handsy. I know you were her first kiss and all, I just wanted to cleanse her pallet a bit is…all…What's with you guys?"

If I had been red before, it was nothing compared to now. I had totally forgotten that I hadn't told anyone about my kiss with the prince back at Margaret's Inn. How he was my first and all. I also forgot that I was in a monster-infested location and screeched an uncharacteristically (RAC: Woah. Big word. O.O) loud screech. I felt like I had been the one to swallow the Fire Magecite. Amy had a blank look on her face that told me she was calculating something and also wouldn't soon forget this moment.

I turned away from my friends and backed into a corner, scratching at my face and twitching. I listened to the conversation going on behind me.

"How'd you know I was her first kiss, Gaya? I mean, we didn't even know you existed," Jake said in a calm voice that just amplified how melodramatic my reaction had been. He held a greenish-blue triangular wedge of some metal in his right palm. It fit snugly. "What is this, Sarah? By the way."

I could do to take some behavioral lessons from the prince. I gritted my teeth. Momo linked her arms around my neck and rocked backward, giggling maddeningly. I gagged.

"It's…well. I don't really know. I've never seen it before. Lebal, do you know?" Sarah asked the Moogle. He flew over, kind of dragging me by an invisible leash which was the instinctive reaction when I knew I was about to go outside the Chalice's circle.

"'Tis Mythril. Rather rare too. Ya keep it an' ya can make some right-fine armor out of it. Keep it safe," the Moogle said, and fluttered off. Sarah put the material in her pack and wandered around. Gaia and Jake were getting into it, Gaia doing his Nich-like pose with his hands on his hips and Jakob staring menacingly above him. You could hardly tell who was older. I squatted down and pulled up some tufts of dead grass and webbing.

"My name is not Gaya, Princess. It's got an "i" in it. And for your information, I am not gay!" the Clavat snorted huffily and crossed his arms. Nich looked on approvingly until Momo dragged him over to me and they latched on. Sarah looked strangely at us, remembering something, possibly, from a few years ago. She smirked.

"And I may be of royal lineage, but I am in no manner a girl," and Jakob flipped his bangs out of his face in a manner that contradicted that fact. The two guys were joined by Geoff and Amy who put their arms around the two snarling boys.

"Well, I think you're both 'tards, so drop it so we can get out of here. I don't like this place, I mean…," the bandit leader turned his head and his jaw dropped when he saw that the barrier we had passed through a moment ago had reformed and glimmered in the light that managed to penetrate the gloom around us. Amy softly tapped his jaw so that is snapped shut.

"Don't look like a fool too long, Geoffrey. Jakob still has the Fire Magecite. He can burn his way through for us," she said with a touch of airiness. She looked sadly at the prince before stepping away towards me to unleech Momo and Nich from me.

Gaia leaned on Jake's shoulder and whispered so that only he could hear, "I think Amy there's going to try and give Katie some competition! You'd better make your feelings clear 'lest you get hurt. You know what they say about love, hate, and a woman scorned, right? And they're best friends after all. Think about the potential effect that may have on Katie!"

Jakob socked Gaia one and stormed up to the barrier, just managing to blast through it and let us across, before it closed behind us again.

"Let's-erm…go…this way…?" I stammered uneasily, scuffing my nasty Nikes in the ground and pointing straight ahead where swirling mists stopped our eyes from seeing too far ahead. Everyone agreed and we were off.

It was about three or four miles later that I felt someone tug sharply on my collar and jerk me back. I stumbled into Amy's chest and she tut-tutted.

"Honestly, Katie. Where the hell would you be without me? You could've died! Again!" The blonde shook her head sadly as if she felt sorry for the brunette's stupidity. I jutted out my lip.

"What're you talking about?" I asked snippily. Amy righted me and pointed at my feet. I bent down and swiped away the fog. A twenty to twenty-five foot drop greeted my eyes, making me swoon and resulted in me getting tugged back again. I collapsed on my butt and sighed. "Thanks a bunch, Amesters." She snorted and walked off, bringing the group with her. Sarah pulled me up and put me on her left so that I wasn't near the end of the gorge. I hung my head.

A few meters along the edge a wooden platform appeared and went down into the gorge. The boards looked to be rotten in places and when Jakob "playfully" shoved Gaia onto it, he stumbled, leaving three cracked panels. He quickly scrambled back on and glared death at the prince who skillfully avoided his gaze.

Hanna knelt down and pressed on the boards. They creaked but when she leant carefully over them, they held her weight and she deemed the whole thing safe. But she gave Jake and Gaia a warning look.

"If you pull a stunt like that again you could very well put the whole group in danger. So don't do it again. Walk in single-file and it should be OK."

We all nodded agreeably and lined up, stepping widely over the damaged parts of the sloping bridge until we found ourselves in an abandoned river-bed like dip. We explored, going off in two groups and separating so we could see how big the place was. We ended up just circling around and met at the half-way point on the other side of the bed.

"What a huge waste of time!" Geoff huffed angrily, sheathing his sword again. He'd been hoping for some sort of action, but had found nothing. Not even a treasure chest He picked at a spot on his chin as he disappeared into the swirling gray vapor.

It was strangely quiet as we walked along, back up the planks and took a left. Looking around, I was able to distinguish dark, ominous, twisting masses crumbling into ruin with leafy green things growing over them hungrily. We passed by several of these, and I realized that they were, in fact, the skeletons of this city, now destroyed by whatever it had been centuries ago. I shivered and linked arms with Amy who rolled her eyes when I pointed this out to her.

Another river bed was on our left and we crept silently around it, emerging into a clearing that was larger than the one before it had been. It was here we found our favorite monster pair. We were creeping up on them from behind, Sarah quickly distributing the correct Magecite, when the Lizardman's heightened sense of hearing picked up on us, and it let out a squawk to the Gigan Toad and both were on us.

I blew out a stream of fire but the deft Lizardman leapt high and came down on me hard with its sword. Gaia was there in an instant and the beast's attention was diverted long enough for me to roll away and jump up to help out with the Gigan Toad. Broaden my horizons a bit. So I came charging up, expecting to be the hero or something, but the stupid bastard slipped adroitly out of the range of my fire blast and landed on all fours with me between its legs, choking me with its putrid stench and great weight. I could feel my breath leaving me and my eyes rolling back in my head. Soon enough, the Toad got off though and waddled off after Amy who was looking kinda pissed. I winced, because there was one thing I could guess was bothering her.

"What were you thinking, you little idiot?!" Geoff growled, launching me onto my feet. He chased off after Amy in a flash, leaving me in a daze. I shook it off and left them to it, turning to burp but changing it quickly to a burst of fire because the Lizard was all up in my face. I screamed a little, but it got the blast and collapsed, covered in burning scabs. Nich ran up and killed it off before rushing off with the others to finish off the Toad.

My friends assembled back on the site a moment later and took a break, me getting checked out by Hanna for injured bones. Geoff looked pleased with himself, but Amy was sitting back on the ledge of the last riverbed, swinging her legs and looking kind of depressed. I decided to make up with her and went over, chewing nervously on my bottom lip. Jake saw and was getting up when Gaia pulled him down again.

"Girl stuff, dude. Trust me. You don't want to get in the middle of that…Oh, wait. I guess you already are!" and he smiled widely, showing all his teeth. The prince struggled not to slam the guy's head into the wall until it bled and sat next to Sarah who apologized for Gaia's rudeness. "You know you still love me, Sarah!"

**RAC: **All right-ie-o everyone! I am officially out of backlog hell for now! LoL. I'm so proud of myself. _smirk_. Anyway, after having run out of story to post, I took some time off - roughly 23 days - so write, and came up with 63 more pages! So we're good, but only for a while. So I apologize hugely for my absense, and promise to update diligently until I run out again - in which case I'll take another frickin' amount of time to work my ass off for you. LoL.

But come on people! You should review too y'know. It'll give me more incentive! :P Also, during that time, I came up with the FINAL FOUR CHAPTERS! They're absolutely amazing, if I do say so myself. _grin_. It helps sometimes to work backwards too. That's what I do occasionally. If I envision an amazing scene that hasn't happened yet, I write it out anyway and start making the two separate story pieces string together. It's hard sometimes - you can tell where I did this because there're some things that don't connect in the story so far. But give it a try!

Bye! I Love ya'll!


	69. The Trouble With Griffins

**Hanna, Sarah, Mackentosh, Momo**: _mouths drop_

**Sarah**: Jakob, for a guy you look really good in that dress. You're pretty.

**Mackentosh**: I must agree with the Care Bear.

**Sarah**: It's a _grizzly _bear thank you very much.

**Mackentosh**: I don't care.

**Sarah**: glares

**Katie and Amy**: _trying hard not to laugh_

**Nich**: This is a little disturbing.

**Hanna**: I just died inside.

**Geoff**: _covering his eyes_ I don't know what you're talking about. I don't see anything.

**Katie**: This is really sad. I feel like crying right now.

**Jakob**: I feel pretty.

**Geoff**: _takes out_ _his gun and points it at his head_ Well, see you all at my funeral.

**Gaia**: Put that gun away you moron.

**Geoff**: Mind your on business!

**Gaia**: I'm your older brother so shut up and listen to me before I kick your sorry little ass!

**Geoff**: Go get shocked outside you jackass!

**Gaia and Geoff**: glare at one another

I didn't even have to say a word to Amy before I felt the tension in the air. She had pebbles in her hands and I saw them being crunched. Yeah. You could say she was pissed. I let out a breath of air. This was going to take a lot of effort. I sat down next to my friend and mimicked her position for a while to see if I could get her to say something. And her reply was tart, but it was a reply none the less. I kept my cheering to myself.

"You want something?" she asked stiffly. I cracked a smile and looked up at the sky. Well, tried to anyway. The green cloud blocked out the sun. I looked at her instead.

"Yeah. I want to say I'm sorry, Amy. About kissing Jakob. I know you like him," I told her. She stopped moving and the pebbles in her hands disintegrated. I gulped. "I mean, I didn't want him to kiss me or anything, really!" The truth was, I couldn't really remember anything from that night. Other than the kiss of course. Its heat made my face color and I chewed on my lip. "Say something, Amy!"

"Katie. You are the dearest person in my life. But I don't feel like that anymore. I mean….How can I say this? Do you think that we'll be able to…go back to our time once this is all over? Will we all be alive?"

The fact that her last three questions had nothing to do with the first scared me a little. What was she talking about?

"Amy, what're you saying? Of course we're going back! It's not like we can live in this world forever you know! We've got real family in that other—oh!" I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands, tears pooling in my eyes. I had called my real world the other world. I felt horrible. How could I have done such a thing?! Amy continued.

"Heh. I know how you feel, Kate. This world is quickly becoming more and more of a home to me than our other one ever was. I don't think…I want to go back! It seems like this world is giving me such a purpose. Our world gave me none of that. It was never exciting like this one is. Who would've thought that these monsters existed? That cities still sent out caravans to protect them from an unknown evil? It's like something straight out of a video game! And…I found someone I love here, Kate. I don't want to leave until I know for sure his feelings. So, yeah. I guess you know already. That I like him, I mean. Jakob," Amy said all this in a rush. It was like a tidal wave. It hit me hard like a slap in the face. Also, it kinda scared me. She had brought up unpleasant feelings in my heart. I was thinking that I loved this world more than my own. I shivered.

"Amy. So you love him? I'll give him to you then. I'll…keep him from coming onto me, then. If it's what you want. So yes. I will stay here with you. And everyone else. We must protect this world forever!"

'More than my other friends. More than family. More than my entire world and all its luxuries. I want to stay here with Amy and everyone else!' I thought sadly, breaking down. Amy's arms embraced me and I sat there, tears leaking out of my eyes with my decision. I was saying good-bye to my parents and my sister, although not seeing her again was going to be great. My school and my education were going to have been for nothing. I was never going to graduate or walk up to get my diploma with my class wearing the school colors: blue and gold. My memories were going to fade and I wouldn't be able to have anything to remember them by. God. It was going to be hard. I wracked with sobs, but they were quiet and didn't really surprise the others who were used to seeing me cry by now. It was kind of a routine.

"Well, time to go, everyone! I wanna get out of here within the week!" Sarah called, waving us back over. I wiped my running nose and eyes on my sleeve, much to Amy's disgust, and walked slowly back to the group. Everyone readied their weapons and I pulled my shield off my back and we walked forward only a couple dozen paces before we stopped. In front of us was what appeared to be a stone birdbath. I ambled up to it and tapped it with my sword. Nothing happened. I looked into it.

It was about as tall as my waist and had a disc-shaped indentation in it with a little Rune engraved on the top of it, along with a small arrow that pointed north. I looked up while the others leaned over the Rune, trying to see if any of them could translate it. I excused myself and walked the way the arrow had pointed, with my arms stretched out before me. They soon found hold on a leafy wall. It was made of stone and as I found out, blocking something. On either end was a pillar that had swirling grooves in it. I felt along the bottom of the wall and felt nothing. I brushed my hands on my pants and stood up, going back.

"There's a wall over that way. I think we've gotta put something in this pedestal here to open that door. The Rune is obviously a magic seal of some sort," I was just starting to feel all smart and proud of myself when Nich told me that Gaia had already figured that out. I pouted, but after a bit of searching around in the tall weeds and ruins, we came up with nothing that resembled a key and we continued on our way after finding another rather indiscreet path behind a group of tight-knit trees. Every now and then I felt the penetrating stare of Jakob, but I shook it off as just another glare from some beast.

The next thing to block our path, 'though not exciting, more so annoying, was another green webbed barrier. Hanna swallowed a fire orb and blasted through it, and we all gathered on the other side, waiting for it to reform, before we continued. A pit was on our left (we were heading east) and we shuffled along on the right side, keeping well away. As we neared the curving part of the path, a snarling and growling and beating of wings could be heard.

Instinctively, we hid ourselves in the tall grass on either side of the walkway and crept toward these sounds, silent as death. Poking our heads out of the top of the grass only to communicate with our hands where we were going was hard once we rounded the bend. I swallowed a gasp as I gazed up.

Up in the sky was a creature that I actually heard of. It had the powerful body of a chestnut horse that rippled with sinew. A long fur-tipped tail lashed back and forth as it watched yet another Gigan Toad and Lizardman bicker in their tongue at one another, the Lizard's sword drawn. The head of this monster had the downy white feathers of a bald eagle and the sharp, curved beak that was snapping and clicking deadly. I ducked down and crawled back to Lebal who had flown into the same patch of grass as me.

"Don' ya go gettin' no ideas, Kahteh!" he warned me, clutching the Chalice in his feet. I groaned and continued. This was no time to argue. A griffin was something we had never encountered. I irritably explained the situation and he told me that we had to perform the spell Gravity on the flying monster. It would disable its ability to fly and make it a helluva lot easier to defeat. To do this, three people had to simultaneously cast two Fires, and then a Thunder or Blizzard on the object. It would take great deal of concentration and cooperation, so I crawled back to where my friends were waiting anxiously for me to give them instructions.

I picked the two most capable in my party: Sarah and Geoff. Amy, who was also there, raised an eyebrow, but then again, it had been she who had wanted me to not depend on her as much, right? Sarah distributed the Magecite, and I poked my head out of the grass to get the other group's attention. Hanna looked up, caught my eye, and I nodded. We both ducked down again.

"Ok. I'm going to wave my hand in the air. That's when we rush out and take them by surprise, OK? Sarah, Geoff, stay out of the other battles, we're taking the Griffin down first, all right? Everybody ready? Good." I put my arm in the sky, but this time, what came with it was an unexpected surprise: the screech of a Griffin. Apparently the beast finally realized we were there. I jumped and covered my ears until the blast stopped.

Almost immediately afterward, I was on my feet and crying for my friends to charge forward. The flying monster's call had alerted its two fellows below that there were intruders here. So they rushed us as we ran towards them. The Gigan Toad flew high into the air before landing down with a loud crash, sending a spray of dried dirt flying in all directions, creating a sort of smoke screen. I coughed, but dove out of the way when my instinct told me to. And it was a good thing it had because the Griffin had sent a swirling blast of wind at me which exploded as it hit. I gazed upward, looking for the thing, but felt a sword crash down my spine, making me cry out in alarm. The Lizardman had snuck up behind me.

Momo came pelting out of the smoky air and head butted the thing to the ground, causing it to gag and drop its sword. I thanked her before Sarah and Geoff appeared. Both quickly checked my wound before deeming it okay. Together, we ran around, helping others as needed, but the ground-ridden monsters were ones that we had faced before and were being kept under control. When another loud caw split the sky, Sarah shoved Magecite at the three of us and we swallowed.

The Griffin came swooping down at us from directly above. Its great talons were outstretched, its sharp, pointy beak glinting heavily in the midday sun that managed to permeate the greenish gloom above. I blasted its feathers with Fire, searing it. It gave a bawl of alarm before swiping at me again. I ducked, but one of the claws got hooked in the string that held my shoulder pad to my armor. Before I could let out a sound, I was flying through the air and crashed headlong into one of the nasty, sick-green barriers that stretched across the path. The wind was knocked out of me and I rolled down, slowly, kind of like a Slinky that goes down stairs, before landing heavily on my side on the ground. I heaved and pushed myself onto my elbows. Sarah and Geoff were taking worried looks at me, but were fighting off the Griffin as best as they could. Momo, Hanna, and Jakob were beating the bloody Lizardman back to an overhang. The others were leaping out of the way of the Gigan Toad's Blizzard blasts.

"SARAH! GEOFFREY!" I bellowed suddenly. They whipped around and bolted towards me, the Griffin flying quickly after. "Let's do it!" I cried. The skidded to a halt and nodded. Together we formed our Magecite powers and focused on the Griffin. "Now!" When we let loose, our chi formed a huge sphere of turquoise light that bloomed beautifully on the Griffin. With a wail, the creature had its ability of flight ripped from it and it began to tumble out of the sky. The others below gazed up and just managed to fly out of the way before the Griffin landed, killing both the Lizardman and Gigan Toad, with its back. It managed to haul itself to its feet before giving me a death glare and charging. My eyes widened and I jumped up.

"Come on, you great ugly brute!" I called, pulling my shield from my back. Just behind it, I could see Gaia grabbing some bronze and Gil from the slain monsters. Pyreflies were draining from their bodies and flying away. When the Griffin was no more than a yard or two away from me, I beamed a stream of fire straight into its eyes, instantly blinding it. Its howls of pain echoed loudly around us and I rushed over to my friends who were gathered in a spot a pace away from the rampaging monster.

"I'm gonna use the Dual Blast, you guys. Jake, use your Power Kick, all right? The rest of you, follow up with your attacks, ok? Back us up," Nich's little input sounded cool, but his destructive fighting style could blast something apart and killing us, like back in Selapation Cave or something. None the less, I quelled my fears and tightened the grip on my shield. The Griffin had stopped stamping around and was now whipping its tail back and forth, its nostrils flared widely as if trying to sniff us out. Its head turned towards us, and I knew it would come running. So I fanned out with the others around the Griffin until we had a nice ring formed. The beast was taking great swipes at us, but all were dodged. Nich then launched his Dual Attack, sending two spiraling balls of chi flying at the Griffin, behind which was Jakob whose right leg was covered with his own chi. At the point of impact on the Griffin, Jakob kicked with all his might. I blasted it with my fire.

After the small tidal wave of blood that had come spurting out of the thing, I wiped my sweaty brow and then collapsed. It wasn't until now that I noticed my shoulder was throbbing painfully. I reached up to feel it and flipped the ruined pad off me so that it landed on the ground. I reached back until I felt a puncture wound that was oozing great globs of blood. My head was getting foggy. I knew this wasn't gonna be OK...

**RAC: **Hey you guys! I have a VERY good reason for not having been updating this time! D I got grounded for a month and a half and my psychotic mother was staying home the whole time to make sure I didn't go anywhere or do anything - even though I found ways around that - so yeah. But I wasn't able to get online forEVER. So here's an extra-long chapter, just for you loves.


	70. Wait, WHAT day is it?

**Geoff**: Jake, go ahead and choose already.

**Jakob**: _fixing his dress_ What? Oh yes! The game!

**Mackentosh**: I can't believe he actually looks good in that dress.

**Gaia**: I would rather not look.

**Katie**: _whispering_ He's…cute…

**Amy**: What was that?

**Katie**: Nothing.

**Amy**: But you just said-

**Katie**: _interrupts her_ No I didn't.

**Amy**: Yes you did.

**Katie**: No I didn't.

**Amy**: _glaring at Katie_ Yes you did.

**Katie**: _glaring back_ No I didn't so shut up.

**Amy**: I don't think I will shut up.

**Amy and Katie**: _glaring at one another_

**Momo**: There's an awful lot of glaring.

**Sarah**: Yeah. Between members of the same caravan.

**Nich**: True, but it's funny.

"Don't worry, Kate. I got'cha. You'll be fine," Hanna told me calmly, swallowing a Cure Magecite and healing my wound. I sighed in relief as the pain went away. Lebal, who had been hovering safely above the fight, now fluttered back down and began to lick away the flecks of blood from his white pelt.

"There's sometin' ova' there, if ya' wanna check, Kahteh," he told mer, jerking a toe towards something round and made out of stone sitting next to a rotting wooden panel. I could just make out the long-dead remains of a hut of some sort. I got up, and we all walked toward it. I pulled at the grasses that had grown over it and dug at the dirt around it. The stone came free, but was heavy and made me fall back on my butt again. The thing I held in my lap was a large, gray, round stone with a little hole near one end. It looked old. I held it up for the others to examine. Amy took it and looked over her shoulder towards the way we had come.

"Wasn't there a birdbath-type thing back there?" she asked.

I thought for a moment before remembers the cracked structure. I gave her five and took the stone, balancing it on my head.

"Everyone all right?" I asked. When nobody gave any complaints, we walked over to the webby green barrier and I blasted through it before vomiting up the orb and giving it to Sarah who wiped it off – she had gotten used to this – and tossed it back into her pack. She and Geoff soon did the same with theirs.

We walked along another dried up river-pond bed type thing, meeting no strange creatures, and ended up back at the birdbath thingie. I examined it a while before fitting the stone into it. It took some effort, but finally the little hole was pierced by the little pillar in the bath and a white light burst out, blinding me and sending me reeling backwards into Momo. She caught me and we watched at the base of the fixture seemed to become filled with white light. This light then leaked out of sight into the ground and wound its snake-like way up both pillars on the sides of the huge gate. With a small explosion, the gate vanished, but two monsters soon appeared, rearing their ugly, scaly, green heads.

"Not another one!" Gaia groaned as two Lizardmen appeared. But one held a strange golden staff adorned at the top with some type of skull and red feathers. I eyed it curiously before I ran at it, attracted to the new enemy. It grinned before waving the thrash at me. I couldn't help but scoff at the stupid way it was acting.

I let out a cry of alarm as Jake tackled me to the ground. We rolled over one another until we crashed into the Lizardman who was running, petrified, from Sarah and Amy who cast me a glare before vanishing. I pushed him off me hastily.

"What the hell was that for?!" I snarled, gesturing wildly. Jakob picked me up and bolted away from that spot which burst into flames that hungrily licked the dried grass. Momo put it out with the Blizzard Magecite she'd gotten and charged the Lizard Mage. "Answer me!"

Jake put me down and flipped his bangs out of his face. "Did you not notice the ring that was glowing around you, Katie?" he asked me incredulously. I shrugged.

"What's a ring gonna do to me anyway? That's just another Lizardman, right?"

Gaia walked up to me and put his head on my shoulder. "Nope, Kit-Kat. That's a Lizard Mage. It's got powers over an element, depending on what color feather its staff has. Can you tell me what color that thing's feathers are?"

"Red. I'm not stupid, you know," I snapped. "So it's got—woah!" I jumped back, taking Gaia with me, as a sudden blazing ring of orange appeared around my feet. The prince flipped back just in time. That spot had erupted in fire as well. "All right. That thing's getting on my nerves!" I cried. I pointed my blade at the Mage which was fending off little Momo and her Nich and rushed it from behind. With a cry, I slashed off its head. The Lizard Mage's cry of shock was cut short as its head toppled onto the grass. I spread my legs and managed to grab its shoulders and push myself up before I fell on top of the thing. I heaved a sigh of relief and hopped away.

"Now. Who's up for a break?" I asked sweetly, smiling gaily and wiping my face with the edge of my sleeve.

And so we broke for lunch in the small clearing, surrounded on all sides by either a dried-up riverbed or a green slimy barrier. I pulled out a salted fish and munched on it, spitting out the bones as I sat there, mulling over how far I had come in my journey. I called Geoff over and he sat next to me on the edge of the gorge.

"What'd you need?" he asked me. I noticed he had a bit of rainbow grape juice dribbling out of the corner of his mouth, but said nothing. Instead I smirked. "What's so funny?" He asked defensively.

"Nothing, my friend. I was curious. How do you keep track of time here? Like, do you have months or something?" What brought this into my mind was my curiosity to see if I was fifteen already or not. I mean, my birthday was June 8th. So if I could find that out, then it would just turn over a leaf for me.

"It's the month of Aout, I believe. I didn't exactly go to school, so the concept of this sort of thing was something I never learned." The bandit seemed a bit embarrassed about his lack of schooling. I patted his back.

"Hey, man. No need to feel bad. I've been in school for most of my life, and it's helped me not a bit!" I chirped. From behind, a shoe cracked me upside the head and I nearly toppled into the pit before me. I clung tightly to Geoff whose head was whipping around, trying to see if he could find out who'd hit me. "Amy!" I whined, rubbing the bump that was forming where her Adida tennis shoe had whacked me. Geoff looked like he was going to go beat her up, but I held him down. "Don't make a big deal out of it. She just likes school, that's all."

Then a realization occurred to me. I had been taking French since seventh grade and noticed that the month of Aout was just the French word for the month of August. My jaw dropped. I leapt into the air and with no explanation for the bandit below, dashed towards Amy and tackled her to the ground.

"I'M FIFTEEN!" I crowed excitedly, planting a big wet kiss on her cheek. Jakob turned a bit red and walked away. My other friends congratulated me sarcastically.

"And I'm twenty-five now. Woop-de-frickin'-do." Nich said. His birthday was six days after mine.

"Then you get a kiss too!" and I leapt on him before he could escape. Nich screeched and we were tussling for a second before Momo managed to pry us apart, Nich panting heavily. I was grinning. But also sad, because I hadn't been able to do anything for my birthday. If it was August, then that would've meant, back in my real world, I'd be in high school now. A rather scary thought since my sister, Stephanie, was already there.

"Now there're only four years standing between our non-stop lovin', Katie!" Gaia whispered seductively in my ear with his hands on my shoulders. A shoe came flying and cracked him on the back of his head, causing the both of us to stumble and land on our faces in the dirt. Geoff looked smug and gave me a wink. I let out a sigh and pushed Gaia off me before he could get any weird thoughts.

"Kate, c'mere! I found another treasure chest!" Amy called, waving me – the others followed – over. We stood, peering through one of the sickly-green barriers, at a treasure chest that stood, covered half in cobwebs, against the far wall. Sarah came forward.

"I'll do this one." She said. She swallowed a Fire Magecite and blasted through it, dashing to the chest, putting it under her arm, and running back to our side, all in the blink of an eye. The blockade was beginning to grow back together as she came back over. She set the chest down and easily cracked the lock that held it closed. It seemed to me a bit of overkill because the lock appeared to have already rusted through.

Anyway, she lifted the lid and pulled out a framed piece of paper. "Anyone read this?" Sarah asked.

We crowded around her, looking at it all at once, before Jakob took it. "We in the palace learned the language of all the people of our land. This is Selkish." He told us. He stared intently at the strip of paper before smashing the frame and pocketing it. "A scroll for the next smithie we meet to forge a master weapon for one of us. Common really, but they're hella useful."

And so we nodded, letting the prince keep the paper this time around. We walked back down the small walkway and burned quickly through another stupid green barrier. Nothing really exciting, other than the fact that we found another dried-up river bed which we tossed Geoff into because we knew how much he liked them. This elicited an angry cry from him as he charged up another ramp, and that ended in him falling through the rotted boards because he wasn't careful. It just wasn't a really good day for the bandit. We let him be for the rest of the day.

"Oh great, look. Another wall!" I groaned. We all turned and looked at the familiar twisting pillars with a huge rock wall between them. But when we looked in the surrounding grass and disheveled buildings, there was no key to be found. I twisted my hair in anger. "Aaaagh, damn it all to hell!"

"Now, now, Kate. How does being angry…make you feeeeeel?" Amy asked me with a grin on her face. I swiped at her abd she parried with her shield. Sarah stepped between us.

"Don't you hear something?" she asked us. Everyone was quiet as we hurried to find a place to hide. As we lay in ambush for whatever it was Sarah had heard, I began to get rather tired. I tried to yawn, but got a slap in the face from Sarah. I resisted the urge to throw her into the open. "It's coming."

**RAC: **Hola people! I'm updating the story a day early rather than a day later for a number of reasons: 1.) I'm going to Ohio for my grandma's birthday party 2.) This will be the last time I get to see my super-freaking-cool-awesome cousin Adam before he moves to frickin' North Carolina and I never see him again 3.) I don't want to get hate mail about being late...again ((LoL)) and 4.) I felt like being nice. Arent I sweet? _smirk _

ANYWAY...This chapter is dedicated to Anna282 for being my latest review! D


	71. The King Attacks!

**Jake**: Strangely enough I don't feel out of character wearing this dress.

**Mackentosh**: And you shouldn't. You're a very pretty guy.

**Sarah**: You know, you really don't appear eighteen?

**Momo**: That's true.

**Mackentosh**: Yeah, you look twenty, maybe older.

**Jake**: Thank you for the compliments ladies. You three are too kind.

**Amy**: _glaring at Mackentosh, Momo, and Sarah_ '_Must…not…kill…man stealers…'_ _right eye twitches_

**Hanna**: Back to the game!

**Jake**: Okay! I have chosen Katie!

**Katie**: Shit!

Now even I could hear it. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was covered in some sort of slime. There was a sick-sounding squelching noise that was building in sound as it came toward us, a monster on patrol of its territory probably. I poked my head out from behind the rotted-through wall of building to get a look-see. What I saw surprised me. I cocked my head in confusion and dragged Sarah out by the excess cloth at her neck. The others crept out too to see this thing.

"What the hell is that?" I asked, pointing at the great beast. It looked like that freaking Puuchin Pudding thing from Skip!Beat, another awesome shojo comic. I told my friends this, but they excused it as another stupid comment. This pudding-like concoction was oozing a water-type substance that left small puddles in its wake. The same gloop was also leaking out of its mouth and dribbling down its front. Sharp little teeth gnashed in its mouth. It had no arms, but its harshly pointed eyes glowed an eerie yellow in the fading dusk. 'Though sunlight did not penetrate the haze above us, it appeared to become a bit see-through, hinting that night was at hand.

"Water Flan. Its power lies solely in being able to bind its enemies in—KATIE, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Sarah shrieked as I jumped up and startled the monster. It turned toward me with a nasty sound, dragging dirt and rocks inside its body that was translucent. I could see them bobbing inside it as if they were some kind of fruit. I couldn't help but laugh as I took a hacking blow at the thing. It didn't dodge my attack. Indeed, it seemed to blow out its chest and take in the part of my sword that struck it.

"Eh?!" I wondered. I hardly noticed the others come out in a hurry, thinking I was going to get myself into some more deep shit. Nothing else seemed to be happening though. "What the hell, you guys? There's nothin' doin' he--!" My words were cut off. I suddenly felt a huge amount of water pressure all around me. My ears popped painfully and I couldn't open my eyes. I flailed heavily in the darkness, trying to swim blindly towards the surface, towards air, but I couldn't find anything, and blacked out, my sword and shield settling heavily to the ground.

**Sarah's POV**

'That stupid idiot! Indeed, her only power was getting herself into situations that could easily have been avoided had she only freaking listened to me!! Aaaaaaaaargh! What a stupid idiot!!' As I thought these things to myself, I yanked out a Thunder orb from my pack and swallowed it. Blech. Tasted like lemons mixed with very bad tea. The others were attacking the Flan from their respected angles. But none were actually using their blades for they didn't want to happen to them what had happened to Katie, the great bumbling idiot. I still had to hurry, though. Because inside the Water Flan's now-enlarged body was that fool. And she was drowning.

"Get back!" I called. The others immediately followed my instructions and I blasted the stupid Flan right between the eyes with my Thunder. It let out a screech before disappearing in the usual way; a cloud of Pyreflies. Gil appeared and Hanna immediately grabbed it, stashing it inside her tunic. Katie fell from a few feet up, about as tall as the Water Flan had managed to get before I'd destroyed it. Jakob caught her. Good. There was going to be a lot I had to teach that dumbass if she was going to survive here. And if she died, I'd have Mackentosh kick her ass for me.

"Let's set up camp," I ordered. The others complied, unrolling packs and rushing back to the dilapidated hut to break off dried wood for a fire. Katie's things were all soaked and completely useless. I'd have to change her clothes and set her practically on top of the flames Hanna was starting to dry. God, the things I did for such idiots. "Go get more wood. Momo, keep them over there," I instructed, telling Nich, Gaia, Geoffrey, and Jakob to collect more wood for the night. Momo's tail curled in understanding and she skipped off, the guys occasionally looking behind them to see what was up. "Don't look back here you perverts!" I cried when they saw me taking off Katie's clothes. I pulled out one of my three spare outfits and fitted her into them with the other girls' help. We called the fellows back to our circle.

"Wow, Sarah. That looked really kinky!" Gaia chirped.

"YOU STUPID BASTARD!"

You can guess who shouted that.

* * *

That night as I lay in the semi-darkness with my friends all around me – Gaia was beaten to a pulp and thrown in the far grassy field – I thought about Mackentosh as I had not done so in a long time. I remembered going to that old rock garden, remembered it being so beautiful that my eyes stung. And then the unbidden memory of my friend, decrepit and malnourished, being forced to protect the darkness she wanted nothing to do with came. I wanted to protect her, to save her from her fate. Even if she had put me through hell, she deserved a peaceful rest. Maybe she would be able to tell me something, despite the curse that had been placed on her. I rolled over and put my head on my arm. I closed my eyes and willed sleep to come.

It took a while, but eventually, I felt my mind start to drift and I lost consciousness. I resurfaced in the dream-world, standing in front of the gate with nothing on. I took light, pixie steps toward the golden entrance and placed my hands on its surface, brushing over it, searching for a handle. I caressed the spot where the doors had been open previously and felt a strange kind of…power. I put my face closer to examine it. I had found the seal, but completely covering it was a glue-like jelly substance. It was rock-hard and wouldn't yield to my touch. I tried summoning my chi to sever it, but I was unable to. Apparently, my powers didn't take effect in this realm.

I pushed against the doors, straining heavily, but they did not budge. There was no echo either when I knocked on the doors. I leaned back against them and slid to the black expanse of darkness that was the ground. I banged my head softly against the cool surface and groaned. How was I supposed to get through? It was in this position that I began to feel a soft buzzing. I jerked my head up and whirled around, peering into the abyss around me, trying to find the source. The buzzing seemed to be getting louder, and I saw the golden gates were shimmering as if being covered in a fog. The outline of them was blurring and I rubbed my eyes to dispel the illusion. I backed up because it was still there. Maybe Mackentosh was trying to get out? I grasped for my sword that was to be at my hip and grabbed air. I gulped and waited as it was the only thing I could do.

As the fuzzy border along the entrance to Mackentosh's rock garden began to solidify again, a dark cloud-shape began to fizzle through. This blob of darkness began to hover around the crack, snapping and sparking as it either broke through – 'Or undid' I thought to myself – the seals placed on the door. It swirled around in place for a moment or two before solidifying into two shapes. One I recognized as Mackentosh, and she was lying limp and lifeless in the arms of…a Yuke, I think it may have been.

He was tall and really broad, with a bronze helmet that covered his entire face, ending in a pointed beak-like shape. There was a metal breast-plate covering his chest that gleamed brightly, even in this darkness. Hardened green leather designed with golden swirls came out of the armor and a red scarf was draped elegantly around his neck. He had a brown leather belt about his waist that held a huge, immense sword to his side. Striped stockings covered his bulging calves and ended in tough metal shoes with points on the ends. His arms were elongated to his knees and got strangely broad, finishing at his wrists with frayed feather-looking things. His hands were striped as well, and three times as wide as a normal person's. They also were pointed and too wide to be ordinary.

When he began to speak to me, an opening appeared on his helm and moved upward to show me an evilly grinning mouth with twisted yellow teeth. His voice was intoxicating, like sweet honey. It was so delicious I almost forgot my purpose for coming here. I shook my head and cried out,

"Give me back Mackenzie's spirit! She's already so weak, why don't you leave her the hell alone you bastard?!"

This Yuke did nothing but chuckle darkly to himself. He turned Mackentosh to the black cloud and in the blink of an eye she disappeared through the crack in the door behind the two of them. He then proceeded to place one hand on his hip and stride toward me with the air of someone with noble blood. He towered over mer and I quaked, but only just a bit. His creepy smile appeared again. He looked at me as if he knew me, and I said before he could say anything,

"You're the Yuke who possessed Jakob's mom!"

This seemed only to entertain the twisted Yuke. He clutched his stomach as his laughter rang out, shrill ad loud with no echoes, into the black around us. He shook and laughed more and more until I accused him again. He straightened up and smirked.

"So what if I am…? What can you do about that now? I am the King of Conal Kurach and I am to be feared. A child such as yourself will never be able to harm me. However, I shall break you just in case. I shall destroy everything you hold dear to yourself once you reach me. The prince seems to have fallen in love with you, my dear, and I wonder how he would react if his sacred love never woke up from her sleep…" The king's hand quickly snapped out and grabbed my head in his over-sized palm. I couldn't see a thing. I yelled out.

"Let go of me! Let go of my friends! Who do you think you are?! You're no king, you're nothing!"

"Heh. I am more than a real-life human from Beyond the Shrub will ever be. I am king and rule over all lands of darkness. Soon, once the prince himself is destroyed, the queen of the capital will break, and the whole world will be mine to command. I shall not let you stand in my way. Good bye…Katie," And his hand began to tighten around my skull. He used his other hand and clasped my throat. My body was raised slowly off the ground to the sounds of my thrashing and coughing insanely. I thought I felt my bones breaking when suddenly, I looked down and saw my own form shimmering and blurring around the edges. The king looked appalled.

"Heh. You lose, bastard." And I disappeared with a gentle pop.


	72. Get Away

**Jakob**: Truth or dare?

**Katie**: I choose…I guess dare.

**Jakob**: Good! I dare you to be Mackentosh until someone dares you to act like Katie once again.

**Katie**: _glares at Jakob_ I won't soon forget this, cross dresser.

**Jakob**: As long as I'm a pretty cross dresser and go back to Mackentosh, O.K?

**Mackentosh**: _right eye twitching_ This is a nightmare.

**Gaia and Geoffrey**: We know how you feel.

**Hanna**: Well, it's your turn Katie- I mean - "Mackentosh".

**"Mackentosh"**: Okay then. I choose Amy.

**Amy**: _sighs_ I suppose this choosing of horror and childish antics would have come sooner or later to my behalf.

**All**: What?

**Amy**: I said dare.

I awoke with my throat feeling sore and a dull throbbing in my skull. I looked around to see who had woken me up, but it was still dark, so nobody could have done anything. I felt a gentle tug on my hair from behind and looked up, coincidentally catching the eye of no one other than the prince. I blushed and curled up deeper into my blankets. He tugged incessantly at my hair for a while, not saying anything, and I was getting a bit fed up. So to stop myself from shouting at him, I flipped my blanket off me and stood up. I shivered a bit and decided to take the thing with me, as the prince began to tug on my wrist. He slipped his fingers through mine and clasped my hand, making me go red in an instant. I whipped my hand out of his as soon as we were out of sight of the camp.

"What is wrong, Katie? I just wanted to talk to you about some things, that is all," Jake seemed genuinely confused about what I had done. Perhaps he wasn't a prince at all, but a two-faced Clavat? He was definitely plotting something right now, I could tell.

"I don't want to be alone with you anymore, Jakob. Amy…you see, she's in love with you, so I…I don't want to hurt her a-and…," I hated the way I began to stammer. I hated the way I got so weak whenever it was dealing with Amy. I hated the way my damn face was burning up despite the fact that we were in the shadow of a broken-down shed.

"But was she not the one who wanted to make you break away from her?" he asked me softly. I couldn't look at him and turned my head to the side and sat down on a rock that only seated one. My face was still unbearably hot. "I did not want to talk about Amy right now, Katie. What was with you a moment ago? Were you having a fit or something? You were thrashing around in your sleep and I wanted only…to make sure you were OK. But I see you are…fine. If you do not wish to talk to me, that is fine. You do not have to tell me anything. But you know…," the prince was speaking these words softly as he walked off, making me feel strangely guilty for some reason. "It is not a good thing to keep your emotions bottled up inside you. I know you love me, and I will make you say it."

As Jakob walked off, I began to sway and ended up toppling backwards, cracking my head on a stone. I dazedly reached back and felt warm blood on my fingers. I couldn't exactly think straight. What the hell had happened just now? Had…had Jakob just proposed to me?! My eyes were wide and my head swimming by the time I gathered up the strength to stumble back to the camp and the others. I spotted Jakob lying in his blankets, fast asleep with a smirk on his face. I was highly tempted to grab a rock and chuck it at him for his attitude toward me, but decided it was really all just my fault, and fell back into my little spot.

* * *

The downside to being in the same group with the prince was this: that the freaking prince had proposed to me. So I didn't get a wink of sleep. I tossed and turned in my cover, every time I looked at the prince he had this pervy-looking smirk on his dumb drooly-sleep face and when I rolled in the opposite direction, my heart flip-flopped because I saw Gaia and Geoff curled up sleeping peacefully. Strange. My heart thudded in my throat the whole night, sending a burning fire up to my face. I snarled to myself and burrowed inside my blanket so I wouldn't have to look at anyone or anything.

In the following hours, I could hear my friends mulling around and yawning, signaling that the morning must've come and the ones who weren't already up would be in a moment. There was the sound of someone blowing onto the fire pit and then I could feel the heat of the flames through my bedspread and I couldn't stand it anymore. I threw it over my head and gasped in air desperately, my hair sticking nastily to my forehead and sweat drops forming there.

"Do you mind…telling me what the hell that was about…_princess_?"

I gulped and looked over my shoulder, pasting a happy little smile on my face and hoping it wasn't who I thought it was, but alas, as many other things in my life had been, this hope was wrong too. It was the bandit leader, Geoff. And he was looking a little pissed off and disgusted at the same time. I tapped my fingers together nervously and reached for my sword that lay beside him. He wasn't exactly looking at me in a way I thought was appropriate. It was like I smelled or something. I dithered about for a moment and jumped up. I hit Amy and the collision sent a strange sort of…of odor into the air. I sniffed and almost gagged. For some reason…_I was just now noticing we hadn't bathed in weeks._

My throat tightened up and I resisted the urge to go around and randomly sniff people. That was Nich's job. He would beat me up if I took his position. So I casually made the task of folding up my blanket an odd one. I took it around the fire pit and blew it open in front of several people, and, watching the ones behind them, I saw the strange expressions alight on their faces. I nodded to myself and proceeded to do this until I saw everyone look like they'd either kill me for being weird again or for blowing other people's B.O. onto them. I wonder why I hadn't noticed the stench before? Perhaps it was because we were always so busy.

Nonetheless I helped everyone pack up for the day and successfully avoided the prince and the bandit who was making death glares at me. Gaia, on the other hand, in all his man slut-ness kept patting my butt every time I walked by which resulted in Sarah reaching up and whacking him on the cheek with her…foot, yes. Don't ask me how, she's still incredibly short. So the man-slut was giving me the googly-eye-you-know-you-want-my-hard-sexy-body-right-now-don't-you? look and I was creeped out, so I avoided him as much as possible too. Sarah hovered around me like my own personal bodyguard. Also strange.

Eventually, our things were all put into our packs, our armor was put on again, and we headed out. It wasn't long after we walked around a curving slope of land that jutted out so far over the path so that we were almost walking in total darkness, that we heard the cries of some familiar monsters. Up ahead there was a mushy green barrier with little air pockets in it that burst like pimples and let the juice slide down until it hardened and thickened the barrier. (**RAC**: Doesn't that sound beautiful? gag) I wasn't able to make out through it exactly what was on the other side, but it sounded like a trio of beasts. Everyone readied his or her swords as Sarah prepared to blast her way through the green stuff. We fanned out as the flames burst through and released the monsters. With loud screeches and a rush of cold air, they were on us.

The Lizardman came at me and I backed onto my legs before leap-frogging over it, landing on one hand, and slashing at the Achilles' heel. With a howl, the Lizard fell onto one knee and whirled around to attack. I flipped backwards and Hanna and Gaia came in. I turned in time to see a Gigan Toad blast Momo and Nich with Blizzard. I gasped. Jakob and Sarah were rushing from fighting with Amy, what appeared to be a huge flying snowball. Amy looked kinda pissed at being left alone and got butted in the jaw by it. I heard a sickening crack and decided Amy needed my help the most at the moment. I ran toward her and cried, distracting the snowball from Amy while she popped her jaw to make sure everything was OK. I grimaced as she did it and blasted the thing with a Soul Shot. It rocketed backward and crashed into the cliff, getting covered in loose dirt and debris that rained from above.

"Everything still working?" I asked her, grasping her wrist and pulling her up. She nodded fervently and bolted off to slice a line along one of the feet on the Gigan Toad.

I chuckled and shook my head before following suit. I didn't quite see the snowball pop out of the earth behind me and float eerily after with no sound. I pulled my sword above my head and hacked off the foot Amy had cut. The Toad began hopping around on three feet, croaking fretfully and shooting off random Blizzard blasts. I just managed to dodge one before Sarah caught sight of the flying ball of snow that had survived my attack. Her eyes got wide and she left Gaia with the Toad to kill as she ran at us, waving her arms in huge circles like windmills.

"Get away from here, you guys! We've gotta get away! Hurry!"

**RAC: **OK, guys! I have yet ANOTHER excuse as to why I missed updating on Saturday...I was at a marching band competition! I'm probly gonna be missing the updates for the next few weeks, so be expecting the new chapters to pop up sometime on Sundays, all right? Sorry for the trouble!


	73. Return of the?

**"Mackentosh"**: All right. I dare you to act happy.

**Amy**: Happy…?

**"Mackentosh":** That's right.

**Amy**: Well, that's pleasant and all, but I have decided to pass on the count that you're a stupid.

**Jakob**: Well you're quite an enigma.

**Nich**: What?

**Hanna**: It means she's a mystery, as in hard to explain and understand.

**Momo**: Don't forget about me!

**Geoffrey**: Oh hey Momo. We haven't forgotten about you...The _author _on the other hand...

**Jakob**: Hey Momo! It's very good to see you again.

**Amy**: Jakob!! _hugs Jakob and then looks at him up and down_ Yo, why are you _still _in a dress?

**Jakob**: It was a dare. And I have to keep it on until somebody dares me to take it off. Which I wish they would. It's starting to ride up. _sob_

**Everyone: **o.O;;;

"Huh?" I cocked an eyebrow at her reaction. I saw the monster behind her and was curious as to why she didn't just destroy it. I decided I'd do the task and as she passed me to get the others who were all taking turns stabbing the Gigan Toad in its head and looked up. I took a flying leap at the freezing ball and cut it cleanly down the middle, landing nimbly on my toes with a little flourish. I stood up and faced my group, looking smug. But judging by the open-mouthed OMFG-I-can't-believe-she-just-did-that looks they were giving me, I determined that what I had done would have some kind of big consequence. I turned slowly as their expressions turned into horror. Gaia absent-mindedly struck down the Lizardman with one slash of his sword and both bodies of the monsters around him disappeared into bronze and silver, both of which Hanna distractedly stuffed into her pockets.

The thing I had killed had fallen to the ground, but was not disappearing as the other things we'd fought had. Instead, it was turning into an all-too-familiar scene; one I had not seen since Selapation Cave. I quaked on the spot and insane images flooded my mind: of Mackentosh's body, of a broken and bloodied carriage, and the explosion itself. I began to back away and hit Gaia who took me into his arms. And for once, I did not object. I was terrified of this one monster. It would always be one I could not beat so long as I had the knowledge that a different breed I guess you could say, had killed Mackentosh. I spun around and clung to Gaia, my eyes wide with terror. Of course he didn't understand why I was so afraid, but as the nearby ground began to shake and rocks were falling from the cliffs and I gripped him even tighter, he got an idea. The others shook themselves out of their trances and took off back the way we'd come.

We passed our camp and vaguely heard the yells of monsters behind another green barrier. But we passed it up and were flung to the ground as the Ice Bomb imploded and sent its power shooting out in all directions. Those yells we'd heard all appeared to have been obliterated by the icy-cold air.

It was a while before I got the strength to even get Gaia off of me, not that he minded of course. I woke up with him on top of me, his face nestled in the curve of my neck. I shivered and flipped him over, feeling ice crackle beneath him as he landed with a harsh crash and a curse. I ripped my hands out of the ice that coated the ground from the blast's center to where we lay. Around me, my friends looked like hedgehogs with the ice crystals forming sharp spikes along their backs. I giggled as they popped up, crickling as the ice shattered. We all stood up stiffly, shaking the apparent ice-sleep spell that had encased us when the blast had hit us. I looked up, and saw the dull green-yellow blob we'd assumed was the sun hang a little less than half-way in the sky.

"Almost noon," I said. The others clicked their tongues as a reply. I groaned at the painful frostbite that seemed to have settled onto my neck. I cracked it and slipped my shield back onto the holster on my back. "Let's head back to that green barrier we passed up a moment ago," I said. Without a word, my friends followed me as we walked – albeit a bit warily – back to the curving passage that sloped off the main path. Indeed, as I had suspected when we had been attacked by the Ice Flan, all the monsters that had been on the other side of this wall had been destroyed.

Sarah reswallowed the Fire Magecite and blew through the barrier. We came face-to-face with a few things: one was another one of those towering walls that had required some sort of key to unlock, with the twin twisting pillars. There was also another birdbath-type thing that was encrusted in mud and dirt. We searched in the broken rubble that lay scattered across the ground and found a key that would fit into it. Also, there was another sort of pad that was buried in the ground. We brushed it clean and pressed it down, hard, but it wouldn't budge. Then Lebal came forward.

"Lemme a' it!" he said, and dropped the Chalice on the pedal. It clicked, and somewhere far off, the faint sound of winding gears could be heard. We shrugged it off and unlocked the gate before proceeding over it. We walked around a curving slope and down a flight of rickety ols stairs that led into a dried-up riverbed again. Geoff stood up top and kept a look-out for monsters while the rest of us explored the depths. The bed held nothing but cracked earth and a few barren remains of what appeared to be a marketplace, but the ruins had long-since been destroyed. Veo lu Sluice was turning out to be just a plain old abandoned city, and it was giving me the creeps. I brushed my arms hurriedly and gladly climbed out of the bed.

We continued along the circular path in front of us and came to find yet another gloopy barricade. Geoff complained loudly until Gaia karate-chopped his head and he fell silent. Sarah became sick of having to swallow and then vomit up the Fire Magecite and tossed the orb to me, and I opened the next area for us to pass into. Up ahead, the sound of beating wings floated back to us and we blanched. A Griffin.

"Ya rememba' how ta' fight these, right?" Lebal asked me in particular, thumping me on the head with one of his large feet. I swiped at him and irritably snapped back that I did.

My friends and I crept forward slowly, kind of holding out breath, until we came upon some good cover that consisted of crumbling statues and more ruins of buildings. We peered into the clearing and saw indeed a huge Griffin that circled menacingly above its two companions – a Water Flan and Lizardman – and looked sharply around into all the shadows. Huh. Maybe it had felt the blast kill the other Griffin a while back? I crawled forward on my hands and knees with Lebal balancing on the small of back until I was nestled in the soft grass right behind the Lizardman. With a cry, I leapt out at it, taking it by surprise, and thrust my blade through the small opening between its breastplate and shoulder pad. With a shriek, it died on the edge of my sword, and the others showed themselves, rushing out onto the battlefield.

Sarah dropped to one knee a little ways back and pulled out the chest before tossing a Fire Magecite at Momo and Nich and swallowing a Blizzard. She then plucked out a Thunder one at Amy who took it and was charging up for a blast as the others went on fending off the Griffin or attacking the Flan. I kicked the corpse of the Lizard off me and ran towards the Griffin who'd just been brought down by the power of Gravity. It reached out with one of its enormous claws and tried to hook me on the sharp edge, but I dove over it and pivoted on one hand. But I landed wrong and was flailing desperately before, directly behind me, the Water Flan exploded in a cascade of sparks. I fell on my butt with sweat pooling on my forehead and my heart thumping madly in my chest. I flung myself on my back as the tail of the Griffin came flying towards me.

I jumped up and searched for Amy before fixing her with a glare that said 'oh-no-you-did-n't'. She stuck her tongue out sheepishly at me and scratched the back of her head. While she was distracted – by me and Amy apparently – Hanna was hit by one of the beasts' swirling wind attacks and she went sailing through the air before colliding with Sarah who'd been too slow to dodge. They both fell on top of one another with sickening thuds.

"SARAH!! HANNA!!" I bellowed angrily. The Griffin, thinking it had finally taken prey, shuttled forward quicker than I had thought possible for something its size, and was rearing its head back, preparing to snap down on my unconscious friends before Gaia showed up and shot a Pulse Thrust at it. I stopped, stunned for a moment, because I coulda swore that Gaia had been yards behind me. Yet somehow he had appeared in time to save Sarah and Hanna. I looked closer at the expression on his face and saw it contorted with rage. He threw a look back at Sarah and jumped high into the air as Momo bounded for the two and plucked them up, throwing one over each shoulder, and ran off to the far end of the field.

"Katie, what're you doing just standing there? Come on!" It was Amy and Jakob. Both bonked me on the head as they passed, rushing to kill the Griffin as it was rampaging because of two things. One: it's dinner had gotten away, and two: a huge chunk of its chest was missing. With a shake, I freed myself of my reverie and took off for the Griffin. It was easily brought down, for it had lost enough blood as it was when it was stumbling blindly about. Indeed, all we had to do was jump up and kick it together – that is, Amy, Jakob, and I – and it collapsed, rolling head-over-heals, into the dried-up riverbed at the base of the ledge we'd been on. I triumphantly wiped the sweat off my brow and did a little pose, smiling, but cringing with the smell. Bleeeeeech!!

"That went well, didn't it?" I asked with a grimace on my face. I helped my friends up. "Oi! Anybody up there?" I called, cupping my hands around my mouth. I was answered with a "Yes!" and the three of us proceeded to walk around the wall of the river bed until we came to a rotting old ladder half-covered with vines and ivy. We went up one at a time and followed the sound of the others' voices until we were all reunited.

"Come on. Let's go this way!" I said, and we headed off through the waist-high grass that protruded through the rock-hard earth. Chopping down a particularly thick stalk of this, we came upon an enormous cleft in this huge rock wall. The wall proceeded to curve off in both directions until we couldn't see it anymore. The hole was big and wide, enough to fit all of us standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

For some strange reason, I began to walk towards the entrance to the cave. I was inexplicably drawn to it, and I hardly registered my dulled sentences: my friends' cried of warning and doubt, of their fear of the darkness, of their belief that nestled somewhere within the depths of the fissure something horrible lurked. I felt this same fear, somewhere deep in my own heart, but try as I might to move my body away, I could not. It was moving of its own accord, and soon enough, I heard the voice of the King in my mind…

_Go on, my dear. Go to your death. You shall never make it to me..._

**RAC: **Hey you guys! I was at my high school's homecoming last night with a bunch of my friends. Had a blast! But of course, after 3 years of never having lost a home game, we lost to the Whiteland Warriors 27 to 3. We SUUUUCKED. XD. LoL. Anyway, it was amazing and I was all decked out in blue and gold - the school colors. Almost EVERYONE from Mooresville was. And NOBODY from Whiteland was. We were scaring them with out school spirit. w00t!


	74. Blond War

**Amy**: This is one evil dream. _sits next to him and pushes Sarah out of the way_

**Sarah**: Hey!

**Amy**: Shut up!

**Sarah**: _glares at Amy_

**"Mackentosh"**: _gets very angry and face starts to turn a bit red_

**Mackentosh**: Are you all right, "Mackentosh"?

**"Mackentosh"**: Just…fine…

**Mackentosh**: Okay then.

**Gaia**: Katie?

**Katie**: Yes?

**Gaia**: Ah-ha! You're supposed to be "Mackentosh".

**Katie**: Damn!

_'Ha! Says you, you cad!'_ And I pushed him brutally from me. I stumbled back into reality and tumbled backwards until I landed hard on my ass, my palms digging painfully into the stony soil. I was a couple yards into the cave. I crawled hastily backwards until I was out of it and amongst my friends once more. It was just then I realized I had not told them about the King. Better not.

_'I'll tell them later.'_ I said to myself.

"What's the matter with you?!" Nich snapped angrily, twisting my wrist until it almost snapped. I cried in pain and collapsed onto one knee, getting ready to punch him….yeah, there, until Gaia grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me away from the crazy Asian. Nich glared.

"Yeah, Kate. You could've been seriously hurt! We don't even know what's in there," Amy pointed out – rather unnecessarily I thought. She placed her hands on her hips impatiently. Sarah was shooting daggers at me from around Hanna who was gazing at me as if I were a young-er-ish child. I freed myself from Gaia and flapped my arms apologetically.

"All right, all right already. I'm sorry. Guess I'm just a bit wore out still," I told them. The excuse sufficed for now, and we loped off, giving the cave a wide birth, and followed the loopy path, gazing occasionally at the top of the imposing wall on our left. It was when we heard the sound of webbed feet slamming down on the ground that we groaned. A Gigan Toad.

"We need to hurry this up. I'm gettin' sick 'n' tired of this!" Geoff complained, whisking his hair over one shoulder and pulling a dagger from his ankle as he sheathed his sword. He seemed bored and yawned loudly, causing others to do so as well. I looked up and noticed the brightest patch of green fog was slipping toward one side and that a darkness appeared to be tailing it. Night was coming.

"Come along then. No use in spending time complaining. The sooner we kick this creature's ass, the sooner we'll get to roll out the blankets," Sarah told him chastisingly.

With a groan, Geoff and the rest of my party, started forward. We ran quite swiftly, actually. Our feet trampled the dead grass as if we had hooves and were beating it into the ground. The dirt we stirred up flew behind us and clogged the air. It reminded me vaguely of the city Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. I shook the thought from my head as we turned sharply to the right, not really caring about this stupid, overly-obese toad we'd come across all-too-often.

Geoff yelled angrily and leapt ahead of the rest. He jumped into the air, riding a chi blast, and raised his sword above his head as the rest of us came upon the monster. The bandit's impressive move was rather ruined when he let loose a tremendous yawn. His form wobbled quite a bit and his eyes closed for a fraction of a second. It was then that I realized he was going to fall, hard and fast, into the open mouth of the Gigan Toad that ribbited loudly at the meal that appeared to be leaping into its mouth. Geoff's body twisted in mid-air as his attack faded with a little pop.

"Crap! We shoulda stopped sooner!" Sarah snapped angrily.

"I agree one hundred percent. He shoulda said something if he was going to pass out in the midst of our next battle, even if it was just a Gigan Toad," Gaia sighed and shook his blond hair out of his face. He was right beside me, but when I blinked after unleashing a Psy Blast at the Toad, he was gone. I swiveled around, trying to catch a glimpse of him, and saw he was standing a ways off with Geoff curled in his arms, breathing deeply as if he were having nightmares. I was thinking about how this could've been done when I heard the dieing moan of the Gigan Toad and just fell onto my butt, shaking.

It turned out almost every other one of my companions – except for Jakob – were beat after having had such a bad day. Our muscles were taught with pain. We banded together and stood up to go to Gaia who still had Geoff with him.

"He okay?" I asked, brushing the thief's bangs away from his eyes. His forehead felt kinda hot. I was a bit worried when my heart beat rather painfully at the touch. I shrunk away. Jake glanced at me curiously and Amy looked at him. "C'mon, everyone! We shouldn't stay here. Let's go into that pit and make camp for the night," As much as I willed it not to, my voice shook, as well as my hand when I pointed to where I meant. I sheathed my blade and we moved off.

* * *

We rolled out blankets and started a fire by pulling apart a dried-up well that lay crumbling at the top of the ravine. I was picking through my pack, looking for nothing in particular, other than something that would occupy my time. I pulled out an old cloth and mused over some things when I heard running feet coming down the slope a ways off. I looked up worriedly and gripped my sword in both hands, ready to attack another stupid Toad if I had to. But it was just Gaia and Sarah who came galavanting back into camp with bundles of dried wood in their arms.

"What's up you guys?" I asked as I began undoing the straps holding on my armor. I stacked the pieces so they fit together from the largest piece – my breast plate – and finished with the smallest – my shoulder pads. I then pushed this to the side of my blanket and began waving my hand in front of my face, thinking I should pull my place away from the fire a bit more.

"We found a small pond when we were at the top of the cliff, Kate. We thought you might wanna come with us when we go back. Y'know, to get some water for Geoff and his fever and all that," Sarah said slyly with a grin on her face. Gaia proceeded to give me the same sort of message before bowing and holding out his hand.

"I don't need no damn nurse you debased idiots!" Geoff bellowed angrily from behind me. I turned around and saw him pouting petulantly with his legs curled up underneath his chin which rested on his knees. His eyebrows were furrowed and he fingered the loose strands of hair on his head with two fingers. His shining red face and pursed lips suggested otherwise. I got up and sauntered over to him. "What the hell do you want?" He asked warily, unbinding his hair. It fell down in strings about his face.

"Katie…!" Jake called warningly from the other side of the fire. He eyed my back earnestly though I could not see from where I was trying to talk Geoff into just accepting my help. After all, I had also gotten a fever while on our trip. From the Vampire Bats. But the stubborn bastard refused to listen to me.

"I'm OK Jake. Geoff wouldn't hit a girl," I said confidently, bringing my long hair over my shoulder and combing through it delicately with my fingers. I knelt on my knees and pleaded with Geoff with big dewy eyes to let me take care of him. I even stuck out my lower lip and glanced at him through fake tears. Geoff, being the ever-chivalrous guy, raised his leg and kicked me in the stomach so that I went spiraling away, rolling in the surrounding dirt and muddying my underclothes.

"I told you, I don't need your help! DAMMIT!" The bandit leader turned away, but not before he coughed really hard.

"Hey, Geoffrey! That was totally uncalled for! She was just trying to help you know! You didn't have to be such an ass!" This was said angrily by Amy who'd come over to help me up from where I was clutching my stomach and gagging, feeling like my breakfast was about to come up. Once I showed no more signs of vomiting, she stomped over to the ailing bandit and gripped his shoulder.

"Get offa me ya' great lump!" he snarled.

Amy's eyes widened furiously and she readied a hand to slap the incompetent youth across the face. Her eyes blazed for a moment, and I feared the worst for Geoff. When Amy was mad, there was nothing stopping her from pounding you until she was satisfied. I could practically see the angry green and orange Chis furling around each other, along with the angry energies. Amy's raised hand began to move and I covered my eyes so that I wouldn't have to witness Geoff's murder. He cringed. But it was a different kind of slap that I heard. I looked up.

And Amy's hand was not on the side of his face as I had expected. Geoff hadn't seen this coming either apparently, because his eyes and mouth were open in stark surprise. Amy's forehead was on Jake's and her eyes bore into his. Her hands gripped the bandit's shoulders so that he could not struggle – 'though I doubted he could've even if he'd wanted to. Amy's mouth was twisted in contemplation and the rest of us couldn't help but flush in embarrassment.

"You've got a fever for sure, Geoff. We're going to get you some water and Hanna can see to you after that. Will you Hanna?" She asked all of this to a bewildered audience that did not answer. She unglued her face that had been millimeters away from kissing Geoff's and looked at us as if we were stupid. Then her eyes landed on Gaia who was leaning against the cliff face and chuckling quietly, his shoulders slumped. He was quaking with barely-contained mirth. Amy's eyes turned to slits once more. "Oy! Queer!" Gaia's laughter ceased and he whirled around irately, his fists clenched.

"I am not gay, you blonde twit!" He snarled.

"You're blond too you know! Fag!" She replied, standing up as well. Gaia had a good few inches on her, but her resentment built her up as she advanced on the Clavat. He stormed forward as the two of them continued to hurl childish insults at each other. Hanna darted around the fight and knelt by Geoff who was still being affected by Amy's presence on his person. She went through the bag she'd brought and pulled out a potion. I looked back to the fight that was sure to break out between two of my blond friends and jumped up. My head swam and I began to feel myself tip backwards, the world going dark. I was caught in the arms of…of someone. I can't remember. I just remember there being an explosion of yellow and orange before I blacked out.

**RAC: **Hey ya'll! Sorry for missin' last week. I was at my friend's birthday party then stayed the night at another friend's with Nich, Steph, and Liz. Sorry, but updating totally skipped my mind! Hope you like this chapter!


	75. On Your Sixteenth Birthday

**Geoff**: *_sits next to Katie_* Hey Kate! *_smiles_*

**Katie**: Hey.

**Gaia**: *_poking Katie with a broom_* Back to "Mackentosh", now!

**"Mackentosh"**: *_sweat drop_* Okay, okay! Don't throw a fit now, Gaia.

**Amy**: Now, since I passed I'll go anyways.

**"Mackentosh"**: But I didn't ask anything!

**Amy**: Fine then. Truth.

**"Mackentosh"**: Okay then! Um…Oh! Did you mean what you just said?

**Amy**: I'm not going to lie to you. Yes.

**"Mackentosh"**: *_anime tears_* That's mean.

**Jakob**: *_looking away_* This is so stupid.

**Nich**: Eh. Better than being bored.

* * *

"If you hadn't fucking kicked her, then we wouldn't have this problem!"

"Yeah, well, if she wasn't such a persistent brat, then I wouldn't have this problem!"

"Shut up. You're such a kid. Why don't you take your unwanted feelings elsewhere. You're just being a burden to her."

"W-W-What're y-you talking ab-bout you idiot?! I don't have any s-s-ort of feelings for her. She's so annoying…!"

"The way you're stuttering suggests otherwise you know…"

"Leave me alone!"

I had apparently come to in the middle of an argument between the prince and…someone else. I couldn't quite see straight. I blinked rapidly to try and clear away some of the fog that gathered in front of my eyes. I groaned as my stomach contracted painfully. I feebly kicked my legs in pain. This alerted my guardians whose faces came close. The sky above was dark with no stars, so I assumed it had been a while since I'd passed out. There was the sound of a stopper being removed from a bottle and I felt something that tasted like thin milk slide down my throat. I began feeling better and pushed myself up. A wet rag fell into my lap. It looked oddly familiar. My vision cleared to reveal that the other person next to me was the prince. The others were curled in sleeping positions around us.

"You…?" I grabbed the rag in one hand and looked between the pair of boys that were looking at me intently, 'though this was probably just because they didn't want to look at each other.

"The bandit did that, kindly enough. Shows he's got atleast some form of a conscious," Jake said indifferently, showing his displeasure at Geoff having to do anything for me.

"Yeah, well…shut up! Damn!" Apparently the thief was unable to say anything else and crawled away to his swath of blankets that lay curled and inviting to my left. His back was to me and soon enough his breathing evened out into evidence of his deep sleep. Either that or he was just faking it. Jake shook his head in disdain.

"Poor uneducated fool. Are you all right, Katie?" Jakob asked me, drawing my attention towards him. I nodded, for it was true enough. My stomach was still rather painful, but I said nothing, not wanting to bother him with it. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle on my own. A smile creased the prince's face and the folds on his brow evened out. He brushed away the bangs that hung in his face with his right hand. I grinned back good-naturedly.

"We should probably be getting back to sleep then, huh? I've kept you up long enough, Jake. I'm sorry," I chuckled and lay back down, pulling the covers up to my chin. I peered owlishly up at the guy because he was still sitting there even after I showed signs of wanting to go to sleep. I cocked an eyebrow in wonder. "What? Is there something on my face? _A bug_?!" I slapped myself a few times, the sudden feeling of creepy insect legs crawling on me all over my body. Jakob laughed and grabbed my hands, pressing them down to my hips. I looked at him even more strangely. He was still laughing, but it had a different kind of lilt to it. Something more…wanting? I don't know. It was weird.

When the laughing stopped and Jake was still holding onto me, I asked him what was up. I playfully told him that we couldn't do it in front of the other "children" which was ironic because Amy was the only one there younger than me. Jakob grinned and eyed me. I felt like I might've gone too far however, and tried rolling over so I wouldn't be forced to look into his face. I felt him coming closer and shut my eyes, feeling my face and whole body heating up. I stiffened reflexively. My back arched up however, and Jake took the moment to slide one of his arms under it. He pushed me up, having mistook my motion, and curled his hand in my hair. I couldn't help it. I had never been touched in such a fashion, and my mouth parted slightly, heavy breaths coming out.

Jake's other hand slid up my thigh, my hip, the dip of my waist, the curve of my breast – which caused me to twitch – and began delicately tracing the edges of my lips. His rough finger rested tenderly on one corner of my mouth as his began to kiss my neck with ardent desire. I was trying hard not to cry out, but a low moan rose up my throat, eliciting a smirk on the face of the prince, because he knew he had me in that moment. He lay me back down and his hands were undoing the buttons of my blouse while he trickled kisses down my collar bone, going lower and lower every time. I was barely able to breathe, and my heart was about to explode. I didn't know what to do!

Jake wound his way back up. While one hand rested in my hip, the other worked its way back into my hair and lifted my head up. His lips nibbled softly on my ear, causing me to twist away. The hand at my hip transferred itself to the other hip and held me fast. What he said to me, said so tenderly, both scared and excited me.

"You have a body like no other. I will wait until the eve of your sixteenth birthday. Until then, please, consider me in a way you have considered no other."

And my eyes that felt like they had been glued shut flew open. Jake was gone by then. I couldn't move, even though half my top was fluttering in the cool breeze. Robotically it seemed, my arms reached down and clasped the blanket that lay in a puddle at my feet. I shivered, but it was not due to the cold.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, a pair or glittering blue eyes had seen this spectacle and blinked back tears before withdrawing again to the shadows.

* * *

The next morning was one of great mortification for me. I mean, come on! I was a young girl who had just had a freaking guy say he was going to take her virginity on the day she turned sixteen! Who _wouldn't_ freak?! Of course I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. I spent the whole night tossing and turning in an uncomfortable stupor. I couldn't face Geoff and on my right was Amy who was facing me, her sleeping face with its unbound wavy blonde hair falling about her delicate features reminded me horribly of a dream. I felt dirty and lying on my back left that arch there, and of course, I could have no part of that.

Unbidden images came into my mind's eye, all of which made me very uncomfortable. I let out a sigh and commenced folding my blankets. I tied them together with a leather strap so they would stay compact and stuffed them into my bag that I set aside as I reached for my armor and donned it again. It felt strangely like a pair of overly-familiar hands, and this disturbed me. I shook. I secured my hair in a braid over my shoulder and threw my pack over my shoulder. I heard the sound of hissing as the fire was put out behind me by Sarah with a Water Magecite. I turned around, eager to put this restless feeling behind me.

"Let's go. I think I hear something this way." I said to the group. I waited at the top of the gorge for the others. I saw Amy, whom I knew to have some sort of feeling for Jake, keep a bit of distance between her and said boy. Strange. But I _did_ see Sarah standing unusually close to the unruly Gaia who took no notice of this. Momo and Nich were being their usual flirty selves, talking and touching softly and indiscriminately. Both were grinning as if they had the biggest secret in the world. As _if_ everyone didn't already know they liked each other. Hanna was giving Geoff another sip of Potion, and apparently threatened him with bringing Amy over, because he let her do what she willed after that.

When they started coming up the incline, I pointed forward towards a clumped bunch of trees whose branches curled and tied together thickly with the brush and undergrowth that sprouted under them. It was almost like staring at a wall. It was a good thing I'd had some time alone or else we might've gone by it all this time. Sarah hacked up the Water Magecite in time to swallow a Fire one that went down immediately after. She blazed us a path through easily, with Hanna quickly putting out the flames with the help of Water. The rest of us hacked away excess brush with our blades so the path we were making was wide enough for three people to walk abreast. Teams were randomly formed, with Jake being at the front and me relegated to the rear, and for once I did not protest.

Amy, however, was among the three up there, and she crouched low to the ground after the sound of rustling reached her sensitive ears. Instinctively, the rest of us bowed low and crept forward with our swords clutched in our teeth, using our hands to help up as we moved insect-like across the ground. Amy parted the soft foliage that loomed up above a short time later with her hands, creating a hole large enough for just her sparking blue eye to peer through.

"It's a Lizard Mage and Griffin, so…," She trailed off as if lost for a moment. She was tallying something on her hands, mumbling to herself and constantly pointing at Sarah. She took this as her cue to pipe up,

"So that means we're going to need three of us to cast Gravity on the Griffin so that it won't be able to fly and shoot those energy blasts at us like last time, and then I'll be at the ready to toss the correct opposing Magecite to whoever needs it once we see what kinda magic the Lizard Mage uses. That way, we'll be ready to counter its power," she stated matter-of-factly.

The rest of us cast Sarah wide-eyed looks of wonder at her knowledge of Magecite and her uncanny ability at remembering such things. She nodded curtly at us and told Amy to keep watch while she dealt out the goods. She tossed me a Thunder Magecite, while Amy got Fire, and Momo Blizzard. We moved about as best we could so that we were at the head of the group. Sarah, meanwhile, gripped one of each kind of Magecite in one hand so that she could toss the needed one to the person who would take on the Lizard Mage. Once the chest of orbs was once more secured to her back, we readied ourselves.

Amy, with a furious pumping of her sword arm – left – bellowed out a stream of flame that caused me to cover my face with my hands as it raced through the dieing green like an alcoholic to alcohol. It seemed to me that a scream was concealed somewhere in there. I shook my head as my friends yelled at me to stand up. I cursed myself for being foolish and darted into what appeared to be the desecration of a once magnificent house. Rotting boards lined key places around the opening, as well as remains of fine china, Mythril, Gold, and Silver.

The sudden pouring of potential meals from a small opening startled the Lizard Mage who didn't know what to think at first, but was quickly summoning up a flaming orange circle of fire to launch at us. Sarah immediately tossed Nich a Blizzard Magecite and he caught it in his mouth before jumping and rolling in one fluid movement as fire blazed toward him. I swiftly turned my attentions to the more pressing task of bringing down the Griffin which didn't quite take to having different types of elemental magic thrown at it. It spat out a whirling ball of energy at the three in my group while at the same time, barreling down on us from behind its protection. None of us saw that coming and barely managed to dive out of the way in time.

**RAC: **Heeey everyone! Don't hate me, please!!! _cowers in fear from reader hatred _LoL. What's uuup? Sorry I've not updated lately. I got grounded 'cause I didn't go home that weekend when I was out with Nich, Steph, and Liz. XD. Yes. I am a moron. You can say it. Well, I'm just now finding the time to update, and I made it long for ya'll, ok? Tell me what'cha think! And may I just say that I spent the better half of a half-hour trying to figure out where the hell everything was with this new crazy format ((Uwawawa...!))


	76. The Fire Saved you Money

**Amy**: Back to the main point. I choose Geoffrey and Momo.

**Geoff**: *_!_* Shit!

**Momo**: Oh no…

**Nich**: You got chosen, li'l brother! Congratulations!

**Katie**: Yeah! Congratulations!

**Hanna**: I feel sorry for you two!

**Momo**: *_hands Nich to Gaia_* Take care of Nich now.

**Gaia**: *_takes Nich and places him in his lap_* Okay!

**Nich**: Good luck Momo!

**Momo**: *_anime tears_* Thanks. I'm gonna need luck.

**Geoff**: Kill me. Someone please kill me.

* * *

However, we were thrown into the air from the impact of the huge monster slamming into the earth at racing speeds. Rock, earth, and wood – amongst other things – were tossed at us as we tumbled head over heels. I landed roughly in the branches of a withering tree in time to see Nich set Momo down on the edge of the clearing with a worried expression on his face. He appeared to be chastising her for being so reckless.

Amy, however, was running toward me while the others distracted the Griffin.

"You're such a fool, Kate. Here, let me help you," She was reaching her hand up toward me and I took her hand. Her grip was fierce, but I took no notice as the branch I was on cracked and I tumbled head-long into Amy. "Get off me, you stupid--!"

We tussled for a moment before Mo appeared to drag us into the battle again. We dropped down as an Arctic wind blasted over our heads. We shook of the resulting snowflakes and dashed forward toward the Griffin that was looking down on us disdainfully. I cried up at it.

"Let's go, you guys! Stop wasting time!" Sarah snapped irritably, pointing at the flying bird with her weapon. Gaia materialized out of nowhere a split second later to tackle her to the ground as flames boiled the air where her short head had been a fraction of a second before. Her glasses went flying off her face, but she clutched at Gaia fearfully for a while. Gaia released her and ran to her glasses.

"On the count of three…!" I said to my companions. They nodded and began the necessary preparation for the bringing about of their element. I personally raised both my hands to the sky and gripped my hands into fists, thinking of nothing but of bringing the raging power of Thunder to my palms. I soon felt the tell-tale sign of electricity stinging, and knew I was ready. When I looked to my left, both Momo and Amy were ready. I counted down loudly. Above us, the Griffin was thrashing its tail and gnashing its teeth in prep for another furious assault.

"THREE!" I cried. The result of the flash of light that followed was that the body of the Griffin came crashing down, though this time with less-than-deadly intentions. Its shriek pierced the sky as it fell, twisting and turning in agony, splashes of blood raining down on the battle. The three of us turned tail and ran away from the impact zone. We managed to dive into some shrubs before the monster hit the ground. There was a deafening _crack_ followed by the soft whisper of Pyreflies escaping from the corpse. That meant it was safe enough to come out. I almost laughed as I emerged from the greenery, wiping the blood off my blade with one hand.

"KATIE, LOOK OUT!" someone shouted.

I didn't know what hit me. I had been careless and stupid once again. In my buoyancy, I had failed to notice the orange ring forming around my feet. Until it was too late. I remember Geoffrey, being nearest to me, rushing forward, clutching a Water Magecite he'd stolen from Sarah in his right hand. His face was scrunched in desperation as he pushed his legs to the limit. I managed to cry out before the flames enveloped me.

* * *

I woke up later that evening, stinging like hell all over. Yet I was wet. Apparently Geoff had managed to put me out as the others finished off that damned Lizard Mage. Nothing was terribly hurt; my armor was unmelted, as were the daggers sheathed on both calves. I felt my body meticulously, looking for apparent scars. I shivered and rubbed my neck…Then I froze. I knew something had felt different. I was kinda holding my neck in shock, my eyes wide and staring into the distance at nothing. It was then my friends turned and took notice of me.

"Kate! Oh, thank GOD, you're all right!" Geoff practically fell at my feet in relief, panting heavily. But he didn't look me in the eye. None of my party was ((**RAC**: Were?)). I pulled faintly on the new 'do that I had gotten. I had received bangs that were thick and brushed the tops of my eyes. The hair on either side of my head was a bit longer than the pieces in the back. Back there, there were layers that fringed the nape of my neck. I shivered again at the sudden change. What a weird feeling. I recalled talking about getting my hair cut way back before we'd gotten attacked by the Shangrila Wolves in Selapatian Cave. And how everyone had laughed at me when I'd suggested it. I pulled up Geoff's chin and forcefully made him look me in the eye. I noticed his were wide and dilated and that he still wasn't making eye contact. I got mad.

I placed both of my hands on Geoff's cheeks and prodded his eyes up until they couldn't move. He cringed and I dropped him. He thudded unforgiving into the dirt where I left him. I pushed myself into a sitting position and glared at my group.

"What the hell's the matter with you people? You're all acting like you're walking on eggshells here. Listen, it's no big deal that I lost most of my hair. Not that I care. I've been wanting to get it cut for a while now. So you can just drop this polite shit and let's move on. I want to go back and investi--!!" Here I had to pause for the Magecite I'd swallowed came up. I coughed it into my hand and tossed it to Sarah who hadn't been looking, so it had knocked her upside the head. I continued on as if nothing had interrupted me. "—gate that cave we passed earlier. I think there's another huge monster in there. Should be fun. Let's go!"

For a second, nobody moved. That is, until Gaia decided to make his little comment heard. He stepped over Geoff's unmoving body that lay curled at my feet and stooped in front of me with a little cat-like smirk on his face. I instinctively backed away which only brought Gaia even more forward. I cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"What…do you want, Gaia?" I asked him warily.

The Clavat's smile widened until he was beaming. He stuck his tongue out and gripped both of the elongated hair pieces on each side of my face. I yelped. "I happen to _like_ the new look, Kate! It's really _cute_!" And then the bastard had the audacity to _kiss_ me. I cried out in surprise and kicked the idiot between the legs. He crumpled into a defeated ball on top of Geoffrey who didn't take to having that freak on top of him. I jumped up and looked around for the exit into the grass. I found it and we all headed back through, towards the looming cave entrance we had found a couple hours ago.

* * *

We found it, but upon going a few meters into it, we hit a huge stone wall that was impenetrable by anything we had together. It even stood up against a chi blast from all of us at once. It was then Lebal made his presence known from the air. Huh. I'd kinda forgotten about the tasty-looking furball.

"Oy, Kahteh! There's uh key thatta way y'know. Y'found it earhlehr. And there's a pehdeshtel hur as well, in case you ijits fehrgot."

I really hated the way he spoke down to me. Onna these days, I was gonna take a chunk outta one of his legs. I swore it. I sent out Nich and Momo to search for that key we'd seen. They came back a moment later with what looked like a stone circle engraved with the Yin-Yang sign. We grouped around the bird-bath type thing and watched as the Asian tossed the key into it. There was a humongeous crack as it was activated. The cracks gouged into the base lit up and filed into the ground. Then, all was silent.

"Well, that sure was nice, wasn't it Lebal?" I snarled sarcastically, crossing my arms. The Moogle glared at me and pulled the Chalice far enough away so that I was outside its circle of protection for a moment. I couldn't breathe, and once back in, I snatched at his tiny body furiously, hurling insults, chi blasts, and those expensive pieces of shit called rocks at him. I'd had my back turned when it happened. The cave seemed to have lit up. Intertwining vines of light curled over every rock in the cavern, giving it a creepy luminescent glow. I gasped when I saw it.

"Let's…go…?" Jake said questioningly.

We kinda nodded dumbly and walked forward, guided by these strange lights and the deadly feeling of hatred escaping from the unknown depths of this hell.

The light that was cast upon us gave us all a strange, haunted look. The dark bruises under our eyes were clearly visible, as were other odd markings. When I glanced back at Nich, he was holding Momo's hand while the other was gripping the arm that held the Shangrila Wolf bite. Was it festering or something? Unconsciously, I massaged the place on my neck where I had been attacked by the Vampire Bats.

Underfoot was soft, trailing green grass that tickled any exposed skin. It was cushiony and muffled the greater part of our steps. It was oddly quiet. When we came to a fork in the path, it was obvious that we should take the right one for it was the one being lit up. So we turned in that direction and proceeded. And as we made our way along, a sort of pressure seemed to be coming at us. It was dense, heavy you could say. Every now and then, a short spark would erupt on our barrier and then go out. This always made us jump.

Up ahead, I could start to see a dim light. There appeared to be a couple of other big structures as well. Around a ring of open land. I pointed this out to everyone. But the force we were feeling seemed to be doubling, and as we struggled forward, Lebal stopped us.

"Kaheth, the monster yeh are about teh face es a Golem. Sol Racht and I foht it behfore. So yeh should know that et's immune teh effects of Freeze and Paralysis. Yeh should attack with Blizzard, Thunder, and Fire. So try castin' Bilzzaga a lot. Et should help ya."

I nodded and we all looked to Sarah who had already given herself and Hanna a Fire Magecite. She proceeded to hand the rest of us ours. Now, to cast Blizzaga, you needed to have three of the Blizzard spell cast at once, in the same location. So teamwork was a must. Thus me, Jakob, and Geoffrey ended up together. I still wasn't looking at the prince. I blushed an unruly red color and just swallowed the orb. Instantly, I became very warm inside. Then, Lebal took up the Chalice and we proceeded ahead.


	77. Golem Gripe

**Momo**: *_places a hand on Geoffrey's shoulder_* Not today my comrade.

**Geoff**: _*holds his head down_* I know.

**Amy**: Since I know you two will choose dare, I dare you both to, and this is by request by another person.

**Geoff and Momo**: What?!

**Katie and Sarah**: Even better!!

**Amy**: Good luck Geoff!

**Geoff**: Shut up Amy! This is all your fault!

**Amy**: No it isn't!

**Momo**: You chose us!

**Amy**: That was an accident in the mind of an idiot. *_shrugs_*

**Momo and Geoff**: *_glare at Amy_*

* * *

We came out of the mouth of the cave to a dully-lit clearing that was paved with cobblestone. It was strange, that being out here in the middle of nowhere, really. All around the rim of this area were great stones and the scraggly trees we had seen earlier. In the midst of the largest grove was the biggest pile of rocks I'd yet seen. We walked out into the center of the clearing cautiously, but straightened up when nothing happened after a while.

"What's the deal here? _Something's_ supposed to happen!" Gaia and Nich huffed impatiently, placing their hands on their hips and tapping their feet together. Ahh, the impatience. That pressure was coming at us as hard as ever, so I knew that something was about to happen. I crouched down again as I saw something move in my peripheral vision. The others noticed this and turned to me, their ears pricked for other sounds of movement. My eyes passed over the huge rock pile and proceeded around the ring…

When there was suddenly the sound of roots being tore up. We all jumped a mile and scattered as the large pile of stone landed squarely in the center of us. It stood up and stretched its enormous arms above its head. My mouth was hanging open in awe. I was watching the Golem rear back as I was kicked squarely in the back and was in between the two giant fists it had that were powering forward with deadly intent. Thank the gods. I was shivering. It had been Lebal who'd saved me.

"You all right?" I heard Jakob ask me, grabbing my arms and lifting me up. Geoff was there too, intent on not being outdone. His concerned expression touched me. I brushed myself off and gripped my sword.

"Yeah. Let's go!"

And the three of us dashed forward, hitting the dirt as the Golem bent low and swung his massive arms, trying to take out Nich, Momo, and Sarah who had been trying to inch close for an attack. I cast a look over my shoulder and ducked again as Hanna unleashed a blast of fire on the monster. It was left with a scorch mark on its chest. It started to run toward her, so the three of us rolled out of its path and stabbed at its feet as it passed. A low yowl issued from the drawn-on hole that was its mouth. We grinned in triumph and ran back and its foot bashed a hole where we had been a second ago.

"Go for it, Gaia!" I chirped as we passed Gaia on our retreat. He smirked and unleashed a flash of Thunder ((**RAC**: Now doesn't that sound weird! XD)) in the Golem's direction.

"Let's have some fun before we stop," I said nonchalantly as I watched my friends seemingly enjoy themselves as they threw their bodies at this rock creature. I couldn't help but smile. This wasn't gonna take too long. The two by my side seemed to agree with me and we split. I headed for Amy who was without a Magecite and had opted for brute physical strength attacks instead.

"Yo, Amsters!" I smiled at my friend as I made my entrance, rolling underneath the large feet of this Boss and jumping up beside Amy. She seemed startled for the moment, but quickly regained her composure, swinging her bangs out of her face. I was getting ready to make the motion of swinging my hair out of my face before I remembered that I didn't have that long of hair anymore. I shrugged it off and stabbed upward at the beast while Amy attacked a leg. A blast of Fire above us sent a shower of small stones upon our heads. When the dust cleared, Amy was nowhere to be found. I felt my heart throb painfully.

I decided to slash angrily at the Golem's foot that had come dangerously close to smashing one of my own. I stabbed and blasted it with Blizzard like no other. Its feet stomped even faster than they had before, making any sort of attack from below impossible, so I got out of there and leapt up onto one of the non-moving-not-gonna-kill-us rocks. I unleashed a blast of frigid Blizzard power that slapped the Golem hard in the back as he was trying to stomp on Gaia and Hanna who was kind of setting the small weeds growing up between the cobblestones between its feet on fire.

"Yeah!" I punched the air in triumph as the monster fell flat on its ass.

"Whatever. Get down here, Idiot," Geoffrey snapped, reaching up a hand to help me jump down. I grabbed it and dropped, executing a perfect roll. Why was I showing off for the bandit leader…?

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Geoff. We've still got plenty of time," I told him, jogging out to the monstrous rock mass. I reached out a foot and kicked it. As if this triggered something, the Golem sat up immediately. I cried out and ran and hid behind Geoff who hit his forehead. "It's…eyes are glowing…!" I moaned.

Indeed, the Boss's eyes were shining a pretty blue color and sparks were coming out of them. It got slowly to its feet and a split second later, all the area in a 30 foot diameter was hit with a glowing blue blazing chi attack. Me and Geoff, and who knew who else, were hit head-on in the attack, and were blasted off our feet, landing dangerously close to the Miasma-infested part of battle. My skin was itchy and on fire and there were scratches from the cobble on my face and bruises everywhere else, but otherwise, I was fine. My health had taken a bit of a hit though. Geoff seemed to be the same. On the other side of the clearing, Hanna was coughing up the Fire Magecite in favor of a Cure. She was busily healing Nich and Momo. I waved her over and she did the same to me and Geoff.

"We match!" I said stupidly, grinning and patting Geoff's tender face. He slapped my hand away, embarrassed. I chuckled darkly as I got up and faced the stupid Golem that had hurt me and my friends. But I was stopped by a hysterical cry from Geoff who was then joined by Jakob, Sarah, and Gaia. They were calling me back. But from what? I looked below, around, and behind me. Then a thin, red, glowing scar caught my eye. It was etching a circle around the whole Chalice-protected area we were in. The Golem was going to unleash an even deadlier attack than before. I cried out and bolted for my friends who looked like they were going to brave the Miasma for a moment in order to avoid this attack. A split second before the Fires burned us half to death, we all dove out of the Chalice-protected ring.

The Miasma hungrily licked at our flesh and wrung its sickly purple tendrils around our limbs and squeezed, sucking the life from us. While behind the Fire-based blast the Golem unleashed blazed hugely for a moment, scorching us even through the Miasma, before burning out.

Just before the air was squeezed from my lungs, a clean version of the substance entered, pushing out the Miasma and allowing me to take in great gasps of air. Another gasp came as the Golem came upon me, rearing back one of its handless arms. I quickly rolled over, grabbed my shield, and parried as best as I could with such a huge foe. I could feel my arms begin to break under the pressure before Amy squeezed in beside me and used her legs and chi to blast the rest of the monster's arm off. Small pebbles peppered us as we laid there for a second, completely worn out. We let Hanna Cure us before jumping up and hobbling around comically as our tired muscles waited to take in the effect of being Cured.

"Thanks, Amy!" I called, waving as she ran off.

The Golem was now close to being finished, I could tell. Now, with renewed energy, I ran forward and unleashed a blazing Soul Shot that tore up the ground and completely tore through the Boss. With a hair-raising shriek it died. The largest cloud of Pyreflies yet came out of it, along with 4 objects none of us knew about: an Ice Brand, Silver Bracer, Buckler, and Ring of Blizzard. It looked as if Lebal was going to launch into an explanation, but I raised a hand to silence him, not really wanting to listen.

We all grouped in the center of the area and dropped, totally tired and wanting to fall asleep. The sun was beginning to set somewhere off in Normalville, because it was now getting hard to see. I heard something stir in the grasses a little ways off. I raised my sword again, an evil look coming over me.

"Ah! Reum! Goo' evenin'!" The…MOOGLE?!

I fell back down anime-style at the stupidity of the situation. A snowy-white version of Lebal had entered the clearing. It had a bit of brown on the tips of its ears and a black tail with a red ball looking thing on the end. It had a bundle of letters in its mouth, so it just gave Lebal's greeting a nod. The new Moogle scuttled into the center of my group, looked around cutely at us all, and spat out the packet before hopping up on the Chalice to chat with our Moogle.

"Huh. They're letters," Sarah said, sifting through the stack. She began handing them out to their respected people before settling down with her own.

I looked at mine. It was a battered-looking thing that was in fact rather large. It being dirty implied that this Reum Moogle thing probably hadn't taken very good care of it. I ignored the urge to eat him along with Lebal and tore open my letter. Inside was a clean sheaf of parchment with Margaret's tidy script on it, and a journal. I was startled. I didn't think…she would know where the hell to find us. Again, one of her weird powers I guess. I opened the letter eagerly. It was actually quite short. I was a bit disappointed.


	78. Intro to Rebena te Ra

****

Amy

: *_takes out a request paper_* By request of someone known as Nightmare the God of War, you two reluctant idiots must sing the song that Brian and Stewie sang in Family Guy when they were stuck in Saudi Arabia.

**Geoffrey and Momo**: What?

**Amy**: *_hands them the lyrics_* Read, apply, and sing. You have two minutes.

**Geoffrey and Momo**: *_take the papers_* But we can't--

**Amy**: One minute fifty-four seconds.

**Geoffrey and Momo**: *_start reading the paper quickly_*

_After reading the paper several __times in the last minute and fifty-four seconds, Geoff and Momo had learned how to sing it after Katie decided to show the clip and get it over with.  
_

**Amy**: Time's up, dimwits. Now sing.

* * *

_'Katie. I hope this letter finds you well. Everyone here was in quite the uproar when you and your Caravan just up and disappeared in the night. They thought you had abandoned the quest and everything! It's thanks to me, they know otherwise now. But Roland told me to tell you that you have to come back after you collect three drops of Myrrh because your Chalice will not be able to hold any more Myrrh after that. We have a huge celebration here already planned on your return. So be sure and come back then! Also, Roland asked me to give you this journal so you could record your journey in its pages and share it with us when you get back. 'Cause that's what you have to do at the ceremony, read it._

_Until next time,_

_Margaret'_

I opened my eyes wide. I didn't know which bit of information I should get upset about more; that it was going to take us a helluva long time to get the three drops of Myrrh or that we were going to have to go _all the way back_ to Alfitaria for a freaking party and then come _all the way back out here_ to get more. It was going to take atleast 4 months to just do the necessary round trip. And then there was the whole, having to get to the places where the damn…wait.

"Gaia, where the hell are we supposed to get Myrrh?" I asked.

Gaia was just handing his response letter back to Reum. He turned to me before getting a thoughtful look on his face. He got up, making us all get up as well, because we had to stay in the Chalice's ring as he walked towards a tree with a strange-looking knothole on it. It was kind of blue-ish. The Clavat pressed his hand against it and afterwards, there was the sound of earth being pulled up. When we turned around anxiously, a dip had appeared in the middle of the clearing, and something glowing emerald-ish was coming up.

"From that," Gaia said finally when the thing had finally emerged.

What had come up was a large, moss covered tree with curving green-blue leaf-like things. They curved over a slab of smooth, grey stone that stood below the gathered tips. The tree had a stone-like border around its base.

"Come on, now," Gaia said to us. He took the Chalice from Lebal and balanced it on his head before walking forward and placing it in the center of the stone. As he backed away a bit, the tree's top began glowing, much like the lights in the cave had. The very tips of the pointed top began to shimmer as if there was dew gathering there. Then, a tiny, beautiful drop of what I assumed to be Myrrh dropped onto the jewel at the top of the Chalice.

Green sparkles flew around the jewel as it allowed the liquid to fall from it and into the base of the Chalice where it didn't fall out of the rather large hole. It also seemed to grow and filled 1/3rd of the whole thing. Then the Myrrh Tree died back to its original color and Gaia went and took the Chalice, giving it back to Lebal.

"Y'see? That's what we gotta do next time we find a Myrrh Tree!" Gaia told us. We just kind of nodded dumbly, not really knowing what the hell it was we had seen.

"C'mon, Kupo! Don't keep me waiting all day!" Reum cried impatiently. He probably meant our letters. Oh yeah.

So we all scribbled our hasty replies and gave them to the little rat and watched him fly off. I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Katie…Is that yours?" It was Jakob. And he was pointing at the journal I had left lying just outside the ring of the trees mossy roots. I squeaked a yes and ran to get it. I dropped my pack and shoved it somewhere inside, praying that it wouldn't get mold from whatever was breeding in that thing. "What was that?" the prince asked me when I came back.

"Ooooh, nothing…," I said slyly, wondering when I would have the time to write in it.

**Year 1**

**Entry One**

_Today, I decided to go on a side road for a change of pace._

_To my surprise, I heard someone call to my caravan._

_It was a group of kindly-looking Clavats._

_Their strange clothing was new to us, but they explained that they hailed from the Fields of Fum and were really polite._

**Year 1**

**Entry 4**

_It's been several days now, and our food supplies are running short._

_I was starting to get kind of worried until Geoff displayed his admirable hunting skills to us all._

_We were very pleased with the monstrous squirrel he returned back with._

_And although he had to make several trips to catch enough for us all, it was greatly appreciated, and he agreed to go off and do it again if it was needed._

_Though this last part was just to me…_

**Year 1**

**Entry 10**

_Sorry I've not written in a while, it's just that most of us have come down with a terrible case of something or other. We don't quite know what it is._

_Even Hanna's caught it, and we've taken shelter in a cave off the main road during our recuperation period._

_A group of traveling monks kindly gave us some antidote today, so we should be all right soon._

**Year 1**

**Entry 13**

_This is totally awesome! I just received the best news._

_We were scanning the map the Lilty Sol Racht gave to us, and according to a certain smart-ass's calculations, we aren't too far from the next area. Here's how Lebal, our Moogle, described it. It's a place called Rebena te Ra. Sound old._

_Anyways, here's that description:_

_'An ancient relic of days long past, Rebena te Ra is a confusing labyrinth of puzzles and monsters. It is especially difficult if you journey in alone.'_

_Sound ominous, huh?_

**Year 1**

**Entry 17**

_All right!_

_As of right now, we're camped out on the outermost edges of Rebena te Ra. That sickness I wrote about earlier has left everyone but Geoff really. He's just got the sniffles though. It seems he's really helpless sometimes. ^_^_

_But this place ir rather large. It seems to stretch on to both sides like the Great Wall of China. I can't see both edges at all. Rebena te Ra shall be conquered by the Caravan Tsiknus tomorrow morning!_

_Also, I should watch this thing more closely. The others seem to be thinking it's a love-thing. I should probably explain to them what it is exactly, and about how much time we've got left._

* * *

As soon as the sun rose, I was up and rarin' to go. The others roused themselves much slower, Geoff being the last one up. I went and checked to see if he was going to be OK for the day. He seemed bothered by my attention, so I let him be after force-feeding him some Antidote.

I kicked out the embers of our fire and rolled up my blanket afterwards. I took out the journal so I could stuff the thing beneath it, in the largest space. Gaia then jaunted over and scooped it up.

"What's this? A _diary_ perhaps?"

He got the dumbest look on his face; a huge, wide grin that went from ear to ear. His eyes got all squinty and his cheeks puffed up. He looked at me slyly, out of the corner of his eye as if _begging_ me to kill him.

Instead, I just unleashed my fury and kicked him in the head. There was a sound much like that of a gunshot and the Clavat fell backwards with black spots dancing in his eyes.

"Yes, a diary…perhaps," I replied huffily, stashing the book in my pack and shouldering it before slipping my shield into its holster on the back of that. I checked to make sure my Rune Blade was at my hip and that all the little goodies I'd collected so far were tucked safely away into the various bags and such I'd made along the way.

Once everyone was ready and awake, we wound our way up the slope that was scraggly, broken, dirty, and grimy. The grasses were huge here; way over our heads, and almost blocked out all the sunlight. And once we got close enough to touch the walls of Rebena te Ra, we could see that there were many stones that had fallen into disarray and had cracked. Many of them littered the ground and surrounding foliage. Two huge guard towers had probably once stood guard beside the enormous wooden gate that had rotted away ages ago. But now, they lay in crumbling piles of rock and shingle and metal.

We passed warily through the opening and instantly into a 3-way split.

"Well, that's a maze for ya," I said, already feeling my brain fry with confusion. A few of the people from my world patted my back understandingly. I bowed my head in shame. That is, before I saw the pair of treasure chests. "My lucky day~!" I chirped. I skipped forward and bent down to bash open the one on the left side of the gate.

"Wait, Kahteh, I fergot the warn yeh--!"

Lebal's warning didn't reach me in time. I excitedly hit the lock with my blade.

As was my luck, a monster was inside the chest, not treasure. It was lucky I was already bent down, otherwise I would've been beheaded. I couldn't help but let out a whimper. For although the creature contained inside the chest was dinky and small-ish, it was still a _Skeleton_.

"Thanks for telling me there Mimic Gimmicks here, ya dumb furball!" I cried, reaching out and cutting through the Skeleton's legs. It fell with a clatter to the ground in a pile of ash and Pyreflies. I grabbed the Gil and tucked it into my tunic.

"Whatever, ya fool. I _tried_ warnin' ya. I guess yeh were teh shtuped ta listen teh meh!"

I reached and snatched for the irritatingly right Moogle's feet that were dangling tantalizingly above my head. Hanna calmed me down by handing me a Fire Magecite. I took this as a hint to use it on the other chest before I fell into another pathetic trap. I blasted it and nothing happened. The wooden contraption didn't even catch on fire. I hacked it open and tossed the book so called _Tome of Sorcery_ at the prince who caught it, made it shrink, and stuffed it into a pouch at his waist.

That's another thing.

Apparently, these items we collect along the way are able to shrink down to teeny-tiny sizes, to make them easier to carry and so you can get a lot of them before going back home. Really handy.

"Let's go left," Sarah said. So we complied with what she wanted and took a left, going quite a ways; we probably walked for about two hours, seeing much more of the crumbling castle, city, whatever it was, but not much else. I was beginning to lag behind out of boredom. I was also thinking about running through one of the giant holes in the wall to my right and making a mad dash for it. But then I realized I would die.

That kinda stopped me.


	79. Chemistry Brewing

**Katie and Sarah**: Popcorn anyone? *_raise popcorn bowls up_*

**Everyone**: *_raise their hands_*

**Momo and Geoffrey**: *_nod at one another and stand in front of everyone_*

**Hanna**: Begin.

_Music starts in the background as the tune is set and Momo and Geoff begin**.**_

**Momo and Geoff:**  
_You and I are  
So awfully different  
Too awfully different  
To ever be pals..._

* * *

"Hey, look, Katie! More treasure chests~!"

I wasn't able to tell who the taunting voice belonged to, because I slammed into Nich's back and fell.

I just kinda sat there, thinking this was probably going to be the most exciting part of my day, when I was pulled to my feet and pushed towards the two treasure chests. I turned angrily on my group with a sullen look on my face. I knew they had an ulterior motive for making _me_ do this. Perhaps they were wanting to see if I actually would get beheaded this time. I was mumbling curses under my breath the whole time I worked. I shot out a plume of Fire and parted it, sending two streams of it at each chest. The one on the right unleashed a sharp clanking sound, as if whatever was inside was resisting the Fire attack.

"That one has a monster in it," I said rather unnecessarily. We all walked forward, and casually raised our weapons in unison before stabbing them all into the box. There was a hideous shriek and the glow of Pyreflies leaked out of the cracks, so we knew it was safe to open the chest. But there was nothing in there. Momo had gone to the other one.

"Mythril!" She cried happily, storing away the green-ish material happily. We all groaned, knowing that was one of the most valuable substances you could come across. Lucky little midget.

It was after much walking later that we came to a corner. There were a couple of alcoves in the nearby vicinity, so I pulled out some lunch to eat, as it was nearing midday already. Luckily, it was cloudy, otherwise, the completely-caved-in roof would've allowed the harsh sun to beat brutally upon us. I sat upon a stone and crossed my legs, my sword sheathed in broad daylight. I munched on a Striped Apple while a few of the others broke off into small groups and explored the area. I rolled my eyes and laid back and closed them, chewing thoughtfully.

What a boring place.

"Having fun, Stoopid?"

I started hacking up a lung, along with some bits of apple, scared shitless for a moment. I clutched my throat and fell down again dramatically and twitched once.

"Haha. No use in pretending. I know that wouldn't kill ya."

And there was a wink in there somewhere, I knew it. I knew because I knew this person well enough to know that it was the stupid smart aleck Geoffrey. I sat up, crossed my legs, and glared at him. I grabbed a bit of mushed Apple and chucked it at his dumb smiling face.

"Aww, wasn't that just precious?" he simpered.

I snarled and threw another bit at him. He ducked and it hit Amy – who'd apparently been standing behind the bandit – square in the face.

I paled completely. Amy angry was one of the few things…all right, they aren't few, but seeing Amy angry was one of the things that got me totally terrified. She was, like, the only person that could beat me up. So I grabbed Geoff under his arms and dragged him onto the rock with me and placed him crookedly in my lap so that Amy couldn't see me. I could feel Geoff's body squirming around and squealed at a sudden move he made that sent us both tumbling head-over-heels.

We ended up landing in a patch of dirty water and weeds. Together….although I don't see what difference that coulda made. I heard a tinkle of laughter above our entangled bodies.

"What a dork!" Amy chuckled. I puckered my lips poutily and began the procedure that would disentangle me and Geoff's bodies. It was as I was bending backwards so he could crawl out from underneath me that I felt something smooth and wet meet my lips. ((**RAC: **Not like that! XD)) And I squealed again. I was kissing Geoff!

For a moment, neither of us moved. We merely stayed where we were, our lips touching but not moving, our eyes staring at the others. I felt a flush begin to creep up my cheeks and I saw Geoff's cheeks turn the palest shade of pink, but then there was movement somewhere in my heart and I mimicked his movement, and then I fell over and it was sort of like a fierce make-out session.

His tongue pressed firmly against my lips and I was freaked out for a moment. I mean, should I let Geoff be my first _French_ kiss? But the bandit gave me no time to think about this as his tongue pressed between my lips with impatience. It was a pleasing sensation that tingled up my body. I decided to venture forth with my own tongue. I reached my hands up and began playing with his ponytail that had grown out again, to about half its original length. I twirled it around playfully and opened one of my eyes.

"Damn, Girl, don't stop!"

"Yeah! Take your top off~! 3"

"I thought you were gonna go all the way…!"

"EEEEP!"

That last one was me. I had the strongest feeling that Amy had called over the people that had stayed behind to show them what me and Geoff had been doing behind the rock. So it was Momo, Gaia, and Nich that were leaning over the top of the rock with Amy and were giving me suppressed smiles. That flush I had gotten earlier turned to full-on blazing fire as my whole face erupted in heat. I couldn't believe what had come over me!

"Aaaargh! Leave me alone, you bastards!" I cried, waving my arms comically in the air in an attempt to look bigger than I was.

"OK. _Don't_ answer my question then. I'll ask _Geoff_ instead. Geoff, why didn't _you_ try and take her top off?" Gaia asked the bandit curiously. He'd climbed over the boulder and slunk his arm around his shoulders and whispered into his ear, sort of man-to-sort-of-man like. Geoff replied simply,

"She's not sixteen yet."

Needless to say, this dragged up some other…erotic memories for me and the heat in my face became too much. I collapsed to my hands and knees and panted heavily, shaking my head in quiet, crazed laughter.

Geoff instantly picked me up so that I wasn't kneeling in the nasty water, and put me on top of the rock, shooing the others off of it so I could lay out completely and dry off.

"Ooh, so maybe you're going to try taking off her top _now_?"

There was the sound of rock meeting skull and then of body meeting dirt before Geoff looked down at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked curiously. I could hear the others drag Gaia's body off a bit away to give me and the bandit some privacy.

"Nothing, just…let me look at you a bit longer, OK…?"

Geoff's uncharacteristically tender question caught me a bit off-guard, but I let him. The red tint returned to my cheeks, but I crossed my hands over my stomach and looked up at the thick screen of clouds above my head.

I was busy twiddling my thumbs when the others returned from their searches.

"Find anything?" I head Nich ask.

"Nothing!" was the typical response. I saw Jakob come out last, with Hanna. I let out a sigh of relief that – though I didn't quite catch it – caused a hint of curiosity to light up Geoff's eyes. He straightened himself up as the prince came within plain sight, as did I.

"Well, that was quite the waste of time. _Dammit_!" Sarah snarled angrily, slamming her sword Excalibur into its sheath, furious that she hadn't gotten to kill something. I couldn't help but grin at my friends hilarious ire.

"Did you do anything exciting here, Kate?" Jakob asked me, subtly using one of my nicknames.

My eyes widened just a bit and I sort of flinched in Geoff's general direction, but other than that, nothing came out of my mouth. I felt Geoffrey move up beside me and sling a casual arm around my shoulders. I prayed to all the gods that were out there that he wouldn't say anything stupid or embarrassing.

"She did me, for starters. How d'ya like _that_?"

There was something of a stunned silence. For about a second. Then, laughter erupted in the four who had been present and had witnessed the make-out session between the bandit and myself. Nich and Momo had to help hold each other up, they were amused so much. Amy had tears falling down her face, and Gaia was well…being Gaia. No description needed there of course. ((**RAC**: LoL. XD))

The rest of the group was feeling just a bit put-out by this, and sort of eyed me as if I might've actually had it in me to have sex in about twenty odd minutes. Which, now that I think about it, might've actually been possible and—HEY! I got myself out of that gutter right then and there.

"He's joking of _course_," I said tartly, picking Geoff's arm off me and sticking it to his side.

"Killyjoy," he told me, sticking his tongue out and sauntering away.

The prince chuckled, but I noticed that it was rather dark. I got the feeling in my stomach that he was going to confront the bandit – and not for the first time, I recalled – about his feelings for me. "So what did you _really_ do?"

"Oh. Um…I just ate a Striped Apple and napped is all."

"And why are the peels kind of far apart from each other…?"

I hung my head.

* * *

Later on, after another couple hours of aimlessly walking north, we came upon another sort of crumbling watchtower-type structure. Of course, it had long since fallen into disarray and other things had come and left their mark or whatever. But what struck us all as odd, was that perched on the very, very top of the building – the very top being literally no more than one tittering brick – was a perfectly intact gargoyle.

It was a little ways off, but it looked to be brand-new. Made out of granite I'm guessing, it had the fierce feral face of some kind of cat, with large wings, open pointed claws on both its front and back legs, and a long pointed tail that curled around the building. It looked like it could spring to life at any moment.

"Strange…," I whispered, getting a feeling of unease in the pit of my stomach. I drew out my sword.


	80. Ghostaphobe

**Momo: **Do you want to go first?

**Geoff**: Yeah I'll go. _Your favorite hero is the Marquee de Sad_

**Momo**: Oh you're one to talk. _You get a stiffy from Physician Rashid._

**Geoff**: Oh one time.

**Momo**: _I've a style flair, just look at my hip hair_

**Geoff**: Oh yeah, that's quite a nice 'do there.

**Momo**: Oh thanks.

**Geoff**: FOR ME TO POOP ON!

**Momo**: What?

**Geoff**: Oh come on you look like Mini Me.

**Momo**: Bite me Powers.

* * *

"Ahaha! Katie, you shouldn't be such a fraidy cat! The thing's not gonna swoop down and try to kill us all or something," Gaia told me, smirking.

The sound of a pebble falling from a very high place reached our ears.

"I told you—!" I cried as the stone creature seemed to topple off and unfold itself. Its claws reached out with deadly intent to swipe at Jakob's head since he was the tallest. Thank God Amy was there in time to shove him out of the way. She appeared angered by this attack on the prince. She slashed up and cut off a back paw.

The stone cat-thing yowled before swooping up and hovering above us, calculating to see whom it would try and attack next. It easily dismissed Amy as she obviously had the skills to beat the shit out of it. Its eyes landed on me. _Of course_. It barreled downwards again, beating its huge wings and causing dirt, dust, and rocks to rise from the ground and block our vision. Instinctively, I raised my arm to cover my eyes, and I soon realized this was a stupid move. It was exactly what the Gargoyle had been hoping for.

A victorious-sounding call sounded, and later I felt something like a cannon ball barrel into my chest. I was sent rocketing away, outside the Chalice's protection, and collided with a wall. The impact caused some more rocks to rain down. I couldn't see anything but the swirling purple fog-like substance of Miasma. I really was far out. And now I couldn't breather. I was barely able to raise a hand. It was covered in thick purple smog.

A distant voice reached my ears. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them, and saw that an emerald-endowed ring rested on the ring finger of my left hand. A Crystal Ring! Bless the gods!

My mind was still clouded with pain and near-suffocation, but I leapt upon the person who had saved me from Death's door and kissed them. Of course it had to be Gaia. And _of course_ he had to go along with me. I cried out and jumped up before grabbing his shirt again, realizing we had an extremely small area of protection.

"Your sword, Katie?"

"Ah. Yes. Well…thanks," I replied. "Wanna run?"

"Sure."

And together, the two of us, running so closely beside each other our elbows kept knocking, made our reappearance. The Chalice soon became visible bobbing chaotically through the air as Lebal dodged the charging Gargoyle and kept everyone safe at once.

"Oh, praise Oprah!" Amy cried, running to me and giving me a one-armed hug.

Weird. Amy was being overly-friendly today…

"Don't stand around all day you two, we've got a monster we need to finish off here!" Gaia snapped, pulling Amy off me and thrusting both of us forward as he fended off the Gargoyle with a Soul Shot.

"Thanks!"

But then a ridiculous amount of rubble rained down on me and my blonde friend and we were soon buried in it. So much for that thanks.

The both of us came up not too much later, throwing tiny rocks everywhere on the way. We'd just managed to crawl out of the stones as they burst into Pyreflies. In the wake, a roll of delicate blue silk appeared. Momo darted out and snatched it up before stuffing it into her bag.

"Momo~! You're supposed to take turns, you know!" Amy sighed, putting her head in her hand. She'd tried having the 'sharing is caring' conversation with Momo before, but obviously, it hadn't worked.

"I need to pay Margaret back, y'know," she told us, curling her lemur tail around her knees and pulling off that whole I'm-short-and-cute-with-a-ghetto-booty-and-cute-face-even-though-I'm-ten-years-older-than-you thing. Amy went all fan-girlish on us and grasped Momo in a tight hug.

"I love you!"

"Moooving on," Nich said, clearing his throat. Amy relinquished the short person and regained her composure. "Let's continue, please…?"

We all agreed and followed the wall. Again.

* * *

"Look, stairs!" Gaia cried out, melodramatically dropping to his knees.

I didn't quite blame him, in reality. We had been following the same dead-ish looking route forever and now darkness was falling on the area. It was getting hard to see, but up ahead, the faint outline of a staircase could be made.

At last, something different!

"Let's go then, Idiots," Hanna mumbled. So not Hanna. This place must've been getting to her too.

So we walked forward, with something of a spring in our step. The steps appeared to have once been in good shape. There were the holes in the stone that implied handrails had filled them. Wooden, obviously, since there were none now. We walked up, expecting to see something along the lines of empty palace rooms or something, but got nothing. It was just a big square…_thing_ with nothing really. Just ruining walls.

"Wait. It's over there!" Momo raised her arm and pointed off towards…something that was sort of familiar.

"Isn't this…?"

Yup. It was another bird-bath type thing. Upon closer examination, it had two handle-looking things coming up and dipping into the basin, which made it clear that a specific kind of key had to be put in the slot.

"Y'know. I _would_ say split up and look, but there's not even anything here for a frickin' rock key to be hidden by, wouldnt'cha say?" Geoff said rather unnecessarily, gesturing to the general deadness of the place. We nodded and trudged away. But not before one more God-damned monster had to make its appearance.

A feeling of cold trickled across my skin and made me shiver. A soft whisper took hold of the sudden breeze and brought with it a corporeal body.

A fucking Ghost.

An ear-wrenching shriek erupted from my throat as I pelted as far away from the thing as I could go without hitting Miasma. I _hated_ Ghosts! I held my head and kind of just fell down where I was. Jake, Geoff, and Gaia dropped down beside me, asking if I was all right.

"No more Ghostie, no more Ghosie, no more Ghostie…!"

With a sigh, Geoff stood up. "All right, Kate's gone off to La-La Land. She won't be comin' back unless we make this thing disappear. Sarah, got any idea what kinda Magecite I'm gonna need?"

Sarah wordlessly tossed him a Thunder Magecite. She rolled her eyes at me, remembering how she had so easily freaked me out with stories about how her old house had been haunted and how as a child she had seen the figures.

This Ghost was not any kind of human spirit clinging to the world of the living because it had lingering regrets. It was so much more creepy than that.

It was translucent, with long, white, ribbon-thin things that could've been arms, only without fingers. It had a kind of fuzzy-looking mouth with thatches of brown fuzz on either cheek. A blue cone with a dangly zig-zag ornament adorned its head and a similar blue zig-zag piece trailed at its back like a tail. Its droopy red eyes stared at Geoff as if begging him to kill it.

Obviously since it was a _Ghost_ it couldn't be killed much less even touched, by physical means. So Geoff being the nice, sensitive man that he was, put the poor thing to rest.

"Hasta la vista, Beeyotch!"

The others kind of fell over anime-style. Poor, crude Geoffrey.

When the wraithlike cold dissipated, I began to feel myself returning to normal.

"No more Ghostie!" I cheered, jumping up and doing a sort of stupid jig out of happiness.

So between my stupid dance and Geoff's dumb I-killed-it-!-I-killed-it-! Chant, the others decided to set up camp for the night.

* * *

The others were asleep, so I decided it was safe enough to jot down some stuff in the journal. I usually did this when nobody else was awake. It felt kind of awkward to do something I felt was kind of personal in front of others. So I dug the book out of my pack and set it on the ground before me. I was laying on my stomach.

I picked up the quill that had been pressed into the pages and plucked the ink jar out of a pouch and settled them beside the cover. I sighed and rested my chin in my palm for a moment, taking my time and thinking. I sighed and rolled over, gazing up at the stars that hung in a now-clear sky. The moon was really pretty tonight as well, being all crescent-moon-like and such. I smiled and returned to my previous position before readying the quill.

**_Year 1_**

**_Entry 18_**

_So we made it inside Rebena te Ra. It's kind of boring, actually. Nothing really happened or seemed different about it. Just fought some monsters is all._

_And, well…It seems weird to write this here, but…Geoffrey kissed me, and I was kind of enjoying it. I mean, the only other boy who's done anything like that is Jakob, and he doesn't know about the little debacle because he was off exploring._

_But, we kissed, and he…he Frenched me!_

_It was something new for me, and I was really curious about how it would feel. And it was really wonderful, oh it really was!_

_Now, really, my heart is stupid. I hate it._

_It doesn't know who to pound over more; Jakob, the love of my friend Amy's life, or Geoff, the crazy ex-bandit I guess you should say._

_Well, until I figure things out, I'll just stay with the both of them and see what happens._

I allowed a few moments for the ink to dry before I blew on the words to test their dryness. I then softly closed the tome and smiled softly to myself, recalling the taste of Geoff in my mouth. I placed my hands on the journal and put my head on them, daydreaming.

* * *

**RAC**: Sorry for having missed a coupla weeks of updating you guys! I've been on Christmas Break and there HAVE been two holidays close together after all. And Nich's been over a lot /// So yup! Here's a rather coolio chapter, no? See ya next time!


	81. A Different Kind of Battle

**Momo and Geoff**:  
_There's not,  
A whole lot,  
That we've got  
To agree on_

**Geoff**: _'Cause I like the strains of a classical score_

**Momo**: _And I like that singer who looks like a whore_

**Geoff**: Rickie Martin?

**Momo**: Love 'im.

**Momo and Geoff**:  
_Were too different to ever be palls  
You and I are  
(doo doo doop)  
So awfully different  
(doo doo doop)  
Too awfully different  
(doo doo doop)  
To ever be palls  
(doo doo doo doo doo doo dooyadoo doop)_

**Geoff**: _Your head's as massive as a meteorite_

**Momo**: Oh very funny. _You have a weenie like a Christmas tree light..._

* * *

I kind of slapped myself, not wanting to fall asleep with this thing in plain sight of everyone. I couldn't possibly let them read it now! I got up on my knees and dragged my backpack towards me, placing the diary-ish thing inside, along with the ink bottle. The quill had been placed inside the front cover.

I heard something. I reached for my sword that lay beside my covers, before I recognized the sound. It was a voice. A familiar voice. And it wasn't alone. It was accompanied by another tone I recognized as well. It appeared the two were arguing quietly with one another on the other side of the campfire. Lucky for me, it was high, so they obviously couldn't see me as I fastened my bag and dragged my sleep-things closer to the fire so I could hear what they were saying.

Ahh, I hated my nosy-bitch side sometimes.

"Did you hear that?"

"It was nothing. Now listen to me, you stupid bastard!"

The first voice was Geoffrey. The second Jakob.

"I do not want her falling for you. She has already got me. An uneducated boor such as yourself should just know his _place_."

"I can't believe you! You think that just 'cause you were raised the way you were, you're Prince Fucking Charming or something! Well, guess what! _You're not_, and I _refuse_ to give up now that Katie's starting to realize I'm here, y'know?"

"No, I do not know. I do not get what she could even _possibly_ see in you. And what makes you think she '_recognizes'_ you now anyway?"

"We kissed, if you _must_ know. A French kiss. If your delicate little Namby-Pamby brain can get itself wrapped around that concept. So yah, I got farther with her than you did!"

To myself, I chucked a flaming log at Geoff for being such a guy.

"You are such a liar. Why would Katie sully her lips by pressing them to ones such as yours?"

"Because she _likes_ me, that's why! And now that that's happened, I _won't_ drop out of this 'race' if you must call it."

"Stop spewing such filth. It is making me sick. I do not believe she kissed you."

"Or is it simply that you don't _want_ to believe she kissed me? I'll bet you're feeling super-insecure right now. I'll bet that since you were given everything and everyone you ever wanted _when_ you wanted it, that now that what you want might not want you, but someone else – someone like _me_, poor uneducated _me_ – you are angry. No. Not angry. Jealous. You're _jealous_!"

"Stop your childish accusations. They are making you look like a fool."

"Oh, no. You've already done enough of that, believe me."

"I never will. Not unless Katie herself comes out and says something about it."

"Ha. Then I bet she'll let it slip somehow."

"I doubt that. It will never happen anyway—,"

I couldn't take much more of the petulant bitching between the pair of guys and crawled back to my original sleeping area. I sighed rather disappointedly before my eyes flew open on account of two things:

1.) I realized that the reason Amy was acting all happy all-of-the-sudden was because she thought that I had chosen Geoff over Jakob. Obviously, that kiss gave her renewed hope that she would be able to get with the prince.

And 2.) If anybody found that journal and read that one page, my ass was grass.

So I was thinking up ways I could convince anybody that _might_ find it to get killed when I sort of went to bed.

* * *

In the morning, I was kind of excited, remembering that I was in a new area. But then, I _also_ recalled how similar every God damn inch of this place was, and I instantly wanted to go back to sleep. The only _real_ redeeming quality about this place was that it had monsters we'd never faced before, even _if_ they were really weak. I kind of shivered at recalling the incident with the ghost last night.

With a groan, I rolled up and out of bed and proceeded to apply my armor to my body. In almost a year's time, it had become quite hard, muscular, and compact. My biceps and triceps kind of bulged under the shirt I had on and my calves were rigid with power. I curiously lifted up my shirt to check out my stomach and indeed a had a six-pack, which was something I never would've thought possible back in my real world.

And then Geoff woke up.

"So you're doing your job for me then? And nice stomach, by the way. Still doesn't beat my eight pack though."

His cute little smirk did nothing to ease my embarrassment as I dropped my top and fastened my breastplate with haste. Once I was fully protected the rest of the way, I grabbed some Rainbow Grapes from my bag; they were starting to sort of rot, and I decided to eat them.

"Huh. Geoff, our squirrel supply's runnin' low. Why don'cha go and catch us some meat or something?" I asked scathingly, signaling that there was really nothing here for anybody unless you were into history, which, I remembered, Amy was. Crap.

* * *

Later on in the day, after we'd gone past the stairs and were beginning to stressful walk _allllll_ the way back to the corner, I pessimistically pointed out that it was going to take another whole freakin' day to get to where we'd started, and that we probably wouldn't get much farther, even with_out_ having to fight the monsters we'd already killed along the way. I was thwacked for being such a downer.

But I really _was_ right.

Once we'd reached the corner, it was late in the afternoon. And of course it had to be a blazingly hot sunny day. So walking in the sun – even _if_ we'd had to do many times before – was killer. Tempers flared occasionally.

I noticed Jakob and Geoffrey were on either side of me in the patrol and that I was in the center of everybody. They had apparently set up some kind of system, 'cause when one of them would stray too close to me, the other would start barking out insults.

And the ongoing battle between Sarah and Gaia pushed the two of them apart enough so that Sarah was at the front of the group and Gaia was at the back with Momo and Nich.

Amy seemed to have to problem being near me again now. She linked her arm through mine and hummed a silly little tune that was so out-of-character for her. It kind of irritated me, and I felt the urge several times to tell her that the prince had kind of proposed to me, but I kept in mind that I was terrified of her when she was angry, and just silently fumed to myself.

Hanna just glared at anybody and everything, and given her height, nobody really went near her. She was kind of intimidating I guess you could say.

The only people who seemed to have _not_ been affected by the heat were Nich and Momo. When I looked back, I would catch the second-long sight of them holding hands or their tails being linked as we trudged along. They both had cute little smiles on their faces as if they were in on some secret nobody else in the world was. And apparently it was too adorable for anyone else to see because whenever I would look behind me, their touching would stop. It was pathetic really. As if everyone else didn't _already_ know about them and their would-be lovey-dovey-ness.

To keep myself entertained, I played with wedding ideas, thinking about colors and the dress and who would be there and everything. The location would've been crucial of course. In my mind, I was having fun, and I was really out of it when Sarah called us to a halt. She was reaching into her Magecite bag and pulled out a Blizzard one.

I looked over her shoulder and saw a pair of treasure chests sitting side-by-side against the wall of Rebena te Ra.

Sarah blasted both and the one closest to us; the one on the left, clinked a bit, so Sarah went forward, raised her weapon, and stabbed it into the chest.

Only, whatever was contained inside it didn't want to be killed so easily.

Instead of just dieing peacefully, like most good little monsters should have, according to Sarah, it leapt out of the chest with a bang that sent pieces of it rocketing over everything.

"What is _that_?" I asked curiously, pointing at the new beast.

It looked to be the front end of a horse, only, stranger of course. It was purple-skinned and had flaring lavender spirit chi for a lower half and mane. The horse had fiery red eyes that had rolled back in its head and gave it a demented, stupid look. The hooves were large and jagged around the edges as if they hadn't been taken care of, which…I don't suppose they would have been.

"It looks like a…a _nightmare_!" Amy put in sadly.

Amy loved horses.

"All right. So that's what we're going to call it then!" Sarah announced, jabbing her sword at the levitating Nightmare that whinnied huffily and struck out a leg that caught Sarah on the shoulder.

"That does it!" Gaia snapped, jumping up and taking a strike at the offending creature. It cried out in pain as ethereal blood dripped from a wound on its side. Its eyes rolled around in its face.

"Creeeepy!" I said, shuddering.

"Don't-be-an-_idiot_-!" Gaia told me irritably, taking swipes that missed all four times. I stepped forward and let out a ShadowBlade move.

For a moment, the horse came across as stunned; it stopped moving, but then white blood came oozing out of its ears, evidence of a shattered brain, and it fell to the dirt with utter finality. The item, Alloy, was given to Geoff.

"Come on. I see stairs over there. Let's get this day over with!" Geoff said impatiently. He pointed to the right where two sets of stairs were evident among some overgrowing plants. We agreed and moved towards them, climbing up carefully lest they started to crumble. They were rather steep and appeared to be rickety. However, we got up safely, and were faced with another challenge.

There were now four different ways we could go.

* * *

**RAC: **Hola everyone! I broke up with Nich yesterday AND had to write frantically for this week's chapter. Be grateful ya hos! LoL.


	82. You put the key in the

**Momo**: _I'd bet money  
You'll marry a honey  
Who's pretty and funny  
And her name will be Ted_

**Geoff**: Oh a gay joke.

**Momo**: I just work with what you give me.

**Momo and Geoff**: _You might think we're N*SYNC, but we stink! As a duo…_

**Momo**: _Because you get a kick out of carnage and guts._

**Geoff**: _And you get a kick out of stroking your--._

**Momo**: Whoa, whoa, you can't say that on the internet! ((**RAC: **Actually, you can, but...XD))

**Geoff**: What, ego?

**Momo**: Never mind.

**Geoff and** **Momo**:  
_We're too different to ever be pals!_

_The song ends as Geoff and Momo sit back down where the heroes are. The audience watching claps and cheers as everyone starts laughing_

* * *

"Come on!" the bandit snarled, ripping out tufts of hair from his head. I reached out a hand to stop him.

"Don't do that. You just started to get that nice ponytail you had before back," I said, smiling.

Geoff colored. "Whatever, Wench."

None of this went unnoticed by the others, who looked at the prince to see how he was taking it. He appeared to be doing quite well, since he hadn't been looking at the two of us period. He moved to the left, crossing right in front of us, and headed straight, keeping away from the entirely missing left wall of the second story.

Not wanting to be left behind, the rest of us hurried after him.

* * *

The sun hadn't quite set all the way yet, so we had continued walking along the right-hand side of the palace or whatever Rebena te Ra might've been in the twilight.

Up ahead, there was the faint sound of squeaking.

"Another monster?" Momo asked.

"Yup," Nich replied.

We crept forward like ninjas and took cover when the squeaks stopped. That meant we were close. And since we were so close, we were able to see what it was that we were about to face off against.

And it wasn't that intimidating.

One lone Vampire Bat was fluttering around what was once an amphitheater of sorts, with a fountain off to the side. The fountain looked like it was about to topple off the side of the structure.

"What a pain in the ass," I said gruffly, walking calmly into the open. The Bat turned to me sharply, its beady eyes swift and calculating. It couldn't have been bigger than my head. So boring. "So come at me then," I told it as the others came out and showed themselves to the little creature. It stayed focused on me. "Just let me have it," I told them.

The others just appeared bored and went and sat off to the sidelines to amuse themselves however they could. Atleast the heat was gone now.

The pathetic Bat narrowed its eyes at me. I crossed my arms and yawned. Then it began to streamline, dead for me, making a bee-line for my throat. Like I hadn't _already_ experienced _that_ before. When the Bat was close enough to me that I could've reached out my hand and grabbed it, I raised one finger and made it explode with a chi blast.

Bits and pieces went all over me and the ground, which wasn't quite what I had wanted, but still. It got the job done. I rolled my eyes and stared at the center of the death scene. After the ritualistic Pyrefly thing, a round stone key appeared. I cocked my eyebrow, a bit surprised.

"Look over here, ya guys!" I called, bending over and picking it up over my head.

"Yea, baby! Ya look good covered in blood~! 3" Gaia yelled.

I kicked a rock at him as I walked over.

I took the rock and held it at my waist. "Anyone know where this goes?" I asked.

Nich raised his hand first, so I called on him. "Yes?"

"To that thing over there, maybe?"

We all looked up to where his extended arm was pointing. It was to a key locker about a hundred yards away. We blinked. Huh. Why hadn't anyone else seen the thing?

Anyway, we walked towards the little pad and dropped the key in it. Or tried to anyway. It didn't seem to want to go in. No matter who tried pressing it in, it wouldn't fit against the W-shaped dips on opposite sides. We had to hold Sarah back when she tried blasting the key to bits after her try. Wait a second…W-shaped…?

"It goes to that pad we found two days ago!" I shouted out, without really thinking.

The others blinked and stared at me strangely. Then, our faces all fell in unison.

_More walking._

**Year 1**

**Entry 19**

_Oooh myyy Goooood!_

_It's taken us four fucking days, but we're done, we're done, we're finally done! We found a key 6 days ago that made us go a long ways back the way we'd come. And inside the new area it unlocked was merely ANOTHER key that made us go ALL THE WAY BACK again! So yeah._

_Now we're camped outside the entrance to the second new area. We're kind of too exhausted to take on a new area right now, and it is the middle of the night. So we're just resting up before we head in._

I swear to God I was beyond ecstatic. That we were finally done with the aimless walking, even if was only for a while, came as a miracle. We'd spent almost a whole freakin' week in the same damn areas we'd already gone through, and the dullness was getting to me. No monsters or anything had come up to us and now that we were on the pinnacle of opening up a new place, I was totally excited.

"Put it in already!" an always impatient Geoffrey exclaimed.

Guess you could say he was getting fed up with me because I was holding the second key we'd found in the air above my head with tears streaming down my face out of bliss. He kicked the back of my knees and I flailed my arms in the air and cried out, dropping the key right into the bandit's open arms. I meanwhile, landed in the ready arms of Prince Jakob. Thank the Gods. If I had fallen on Sarah who was beside the prince, I probably would've been killed. Literally.

And thus the bandit leader plopped the stone circle into its slot on the pad and lights flashed around the stand it was perched on. The lines dissolved into the ground where they came up around the erect pillars on either side of a gate that blocked our path. Then, a shining crack appeared in the middle of the door and it split open to reveal a pair of treasure chests and two switches that flanked the ground on either side of the new place.

"What do you think these do…?" Momo asked curiously, stepping forward onto a switch. With a metallic sort of click that seemed to alert what was in the chests, twin Skeletons burst forth and let themselves be known. They seemed more intelligent than the Skeleton that had allowed itself to be killed simply by having its legs knocked out from under him…pretty much, anyway.

These two were simple skeletons to be sure, but they had weapons. And shields. The one on the left had a giant mace with a golden handle and spikes on both ends. His shield had a red-and-white checked pattern on it and the Skeleton itself bounced back and forth on its heels as I myself had been taught. The other was equipped with an ancient armor of sorts, a bulging black and golden breastplate and bulbous shoulder, knee, and hip guards. He had a spear with a faded and scraggly gold handle and a shield identical to his partner's. A guttural moan issued from behind his face mask.

"Seems like it'd be fun. I'll sit this one out though. I'm still kinda tired, okies?" I waved my hand in the air and went over to where Hanna, Amy, Jake, and Momo were already sitting out. Let the others handle it, they'd be fine. So the five of us settled onto a dissolution of rocks to watch the show.

**Sarah's POV**

When the Skeletons charged, the four of us who remained broke into pairs. Of course, I was left with the lecherous Gaia fag. I honestly didn't understand why I was always tolerating him. He really just got on my nerves. That young idiot! Anyway, before I get any further into my ranting, I'm gonna fight!

The Skeleton with the Mace came at me and the blond while Nich and Geoff drew the one with a spear a short distance away to give us some space to move around. How thoughtful.

With a yell, I bounded forward and feinted to the left and then the right, narrowly avoiding the mace that almost took out my head. When the Skeleton struck at me again, Gaia reached his sword out and parried him. Good. A distraction.

While the Skeleton had its back turned to me, I punched clean through its ribcage and then dropped to the ground as the mace came whirling behind it. I reached up, leaving my sword stabbed into the ground, and karate chopped the legs between them at the knees. There was the sickening sound of breaking bone again as Gaia's sword went through the neck. In a puff of smoke and Pyreflies, the Skeleton vanished. On the ground was a slightly smoking red claw. Gaia eagerly reached out his hand and tucked it into his tunic.

"Devil's Claw," he said in answer to my questioning stare. He reached out a hand and pulled me to my feet. I jumped up then reached down and sheathed my sword. A slight sweat had broken out on my forehead. On my way back to join the others, I casually stepped on the other switch. Another metallic thud somewhere far off, but other than that, nothing. No more hidden monsters. Good.

"Good job, Sarah!" Katie said.

"Some fairly good acrobatics," Hanna told me complimentary.

"Thanks."

**Katie's POV**

Sarah's battle was cool, but seeing the pairing Geoff/Nich was really new to me, so I had watched them moreso than the Sarah/Gaia one. But neither had to know that of course.

"Let us go up the stairs," Hanna said calmly, pointing above the pile of stones the five of us were currently chillin' on.

Oh. So apparently this _wasn't_ a random pile of stuff, it was the bottom half of a decrepit staircase. The upper half seemed to resemble _something_ of a staircase, but not quite. I didn't really get where Hanna was going with this whole thing, but decided to go along with whatever she suggested. Already, Nich who was quite comfortable with leaping from dangerously-close-to-coming-loose-and-knocking-everyone-over-like-bowling-pins boulders and was reaching the stair-looking things. Stupid monkey man.

* * *

**RAC: **Hola reader-chans, sans, samas, and kuns! I'm in a great mood, 'cause over this 3-day weekend, I won't be home at all. Going to Nich's, Momo's, Dakota's, and Megan's. So I'm actually updating the day before intsead of the week after! _gasp_

_**REVIEW!**_


	83. Human Puzzle

****

Katie

: That was even better than I thought!

**Amy**: It was hilarious!

**Hanna**: I am so glad I didn't miss this!

**Katie**: How humiliating!

**Jakob**: Talk about being jesters!

**Gaia**: I'm so sorry you two!

**Sarah**: You looked like idiots!

**Nich**: *_only one clapping_* That was cool!

**Amy and Katie**: *_can't talk anymore because they're laughing_*

**Mackentosh**: That was… *_pauses and coughs, trying to restrain herself from laughing_* That was entertaining…*_starts laughing_*

**Hanna**: Okay then. *_pauses and calms down_* It's both your turns now. Either each choose one person or choose one together.

**Momo and Geoff**: *_huddle together_*

**Geoff**: Okay. I say we choose Hanna.

* * *

Momo also seemed to be having an easy time with it and was soon up beside her sweetheart. Erm, I mean…_friend_. Hanna and Sarah struggled up from behind. Guess having large clumsy bear legs was something of a haphazard when going up this sort of thing. Those of us who most resembled humans were able to maneuver averagely. Except for me. Apparently, even though I was 100% totally human, I was susceptible to finding the loosest rocks and almost falling. Luckily there was always somebody behind-I mean…below me to make sure I didn't kill myself by landing at the very bottom or something.

Once everybody made it to the top of the crappily built stairs, we walked forward. This section of Rebena te Ra had no gaping wounds in the side, but it still had the metal-based window bars, so we went over to look out on the surrounding lands from thirty feet up. It was quite beautiful, really. Which surprised me.

When we looked out, we could see through the tops of the previous two floors. We could see the scars of some kind of previous attack that had sent this place to ruins and from our own battles. There were empty chests occasionally littering the ground as well. And beyond the forever ongoing walls were striking hills and mountains and groves of trees and even a lake if you looked hard enough between two peaks. It looked more like a stream of sparkles in the sunlight and made it even more appealing to the eye.

"We can't stand here forever, y'know," Geoff said impatiently from behind all of us. He apparently had no taste for anything gorgeous like this. Gaia meanwhile, did. He was busily pointing out certain objects and was naming the specific color of it. For whatever reason. And if someone else tried to explain the water looked 'blue', he'd bitch and moan and harass that person until they agreed that it was 'aqua' as he was convinced it was. It was time to move on from our wonderful view.

* * *

After walking for several hours on what we eventually realized was a slowly winding path, we came to an overpass that let us look down on the area of our last battle. We moved on and shortly after came to a bend in the path. We decided to take the left-hand turn. It lead into a cavern, and Hanna used Fire to light up a path for us in the darkness.

"No little lights to help us now, huh?" Geoff asked sarcastically, patting the walls fondly. He ended up clipping his face on a low-hanging rock. Payback was a bitch apparently. We all laughed at him. "_I think my nose is bleeding!_"

Once the little sojourn was complete, we came into an area with a half-crumbled wall ahead of us. Beside what appeared to be a gate-type thing was a pedestal about waist-height with a smooth ball bobbing along on top of an unbelievably thin stone stick. It had a faint glowing blue sheen to it, and when we approached it, it began to rotate slightly on the thing.

"Wonder what that means?" I said, poking at the ball with a finger. It stood still for a moment while I held it still, but began whirling again when I released it. Sarah squeezed between me and the ball started going psycho. "What the-?!"

Sarah got onto her knees in the dirt and slung her pack off her back and pulled out one of three Magecite; Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder. She took each in turn and held them to the ball as if testing something. She cried out in victory as the little spinning sphere ground to a halt when the Blizzard Magecite was held up to it. Little speckles of light began shooting out from it. "Ha. There're your little lights, Geoff, m'boy!" she said after she'd swallowed the Blizzard Magecite. She then blew frigid ice onto the ball. With a click and a thud, the gate that had been imbedded into the nearby wall fell.

With triumphant expressions, all of us darted through the passage, pressing our bodies against the walls on either side of the new area. When it appeared that there were no monsters that were going to come out and attack us, we relaxed and straightened up. With not much enthusiasm, Sarah pointed off into the distance towards a yellow speck.

"I think it's another one of these things," she told us, jerking her thumb back in the direction of the previous key-lock mechanism.

We nodded and followed her lead, unfortunately not meeting any kind of monster to take out our frustration of having nothing to fight on.

**Year 1**

**Entry 20**

_Another two weeks have passed since Sarah had discovered the series of locks that opened with the powers of the Magecite. It's been nearly impossible for any of us to go on because of the so-far monotonous pace of things. Especially Geoffrey, whom I found teetering on the edge of a cliff just yesterday singing a hysterical little tune to himself. He looked like he was about to jump. Luckily I pulled him back and saved his life._

_But right now, we're sleeping in an area that has several large blocks of stone with switch-like things on them. I believe this to be a puzzle. We're all going to attempt to conquer this thing in the morning. Hopefully, none of my other companions will have gotten away with killing themselves by then._

* * *

Dawn couldn't have come soon enough for the caravan of Tsikuns. Most of us were bright eyed and bushy tailed the moment we woke up; eager were we to attack this new problem before us. Even Lebal seemed to be excited for this; he was twittering above us impatiently as we got ready.

"Let's _do_ this thingy~!" Geoff chirped happily, clapping his hands together excitedly. I personally found his chipper behavior rather creepy. I shied away from him a bit as he skipped ahead of us toward the puzzle.

However, he got a little _too_ far ahead, and triggered one of the switches. The pocket of stone he was standing on rocketed up to level out with the second stone. He cried out instinctively and clattered to the ground like a fool. Idiot.

I wasn't afraid to tell him this either. After mouthing my insult, Geoff stomped around and hit a second switch that was to the right of the first one and the platform lowered. He stomped toward me, intent on giving me a good thwacking, but the prince came between us. Grateful though I was, I couldn't help but glance up at Geoff as he stopped a little ways off, looking…well, hurt. I don't know really.

But Sarah hit the pair of guys hard on the sides of their heads and they came to their senses quickly enough.

"Come on, you buffoons. We're going up!" She said.

We had everyone crowded onto the platform so that the second panel would not be pushed, and had Geoff do the honors of stepping on the first one. With the excess weight, the rock rose much slower than it did with Geoff and we stepped off onto the second floor of the puzzle with relative ease.

"There're two more buttons over there," Momo told us, pointing a few feet behind us. We walked over and looked down at the two new buttons. Geoff stomped down on the one on the left and entertainingly enough dropped into a crouch as if preparing to be launched up to the third story of rock floors. Nothing happened though, and he ended up just making even more of an ass of himself. He was a deep red color when he stood back up.

"Um…I think it's that one…," he said, needlessly pointing to the panel by Nich's foot. The Asian casually tapped it, but instead of going up, the wall in front of us dropped. Another two switches were revealed to us. The bandit leader quickly averted the first panel, apparently having gained some kind of distrust for them. I couldn't help but grin at this. However, once a few of us were on this new section, we rose up again quickly, leaving the others about ten feet below.

Me, Geoff, Sarah, and Momo were standing up here, curious as to how to get down, though not worried at all because everyone was still safely within the Chalice's protective circle.

"H-h-hit the swi-itch!" Geoff moaned, shaking a bit and gripping my shoulder rather tightly as he stood next to me to bark out the order. Amy hit the switch and we all fell with a _thunk_ as the two floors met again. "L-let's get off," Geoff said, leaping hastily off before the panel could rise again.

"Perhaps we need to have something hold that second panel down," Sarah mused, seemingly to herself.

"What was that?" I asked her curiously, turning in her direction.

She was tapping her chin and walking in circles around us, otherwise trying to peer around the second floor – that had risen again – to try and get a good view around it.

"I saw something move while we were rising, Katie. I'm thinking that if perhaps we have someone stand up on the switch while the rest of us go around and see what's happening on the other side, we might get somewhere."

Oh well. I personally didn't have any other sort of good idea, so I, along with everyone else, agreed to try and do what Sarah suggested. I volunteered to be the one to stand on the panel, so I rose by myself the second time around, up to the third floor. I stood sentry up on the second panel, avoiding the first one, and watched to see what the others were going to do.

"OK. There are kind of too many of us to be able to do this. I think it's going to have to go really quickly if we're gonna do this right. Time is of the essence, so speed is the name of the game." Here, Nich was smirking and tentatively raising his hand. Sarah shot him down however. "No, Nich, we're _not_ talking about your love affair with the drug speed, OK? So shut it." Nich looked crestfallen and had to be comforted by Momo. "As I was saying, since it's all about speed, I'm gonna ask the four fastest people to do this. Momo, Nich, Gaia, and Jake. Think you're up to it?"

They nodded.

* * *

**RAC: **Hola readers! I had to baby-sit last night and couldn't get away long enough to update the fic, ok? I apologize. But I'm getting my hair cut shorter today and I'm excited! Ya'll should review for me! _smile_


	84. Not Quite Fast Enough

**Siren**: Why? So she can kill us next?!

**Yoshio**: Good point. Then who?

**Momo**: I say we choose Mackentosh.

**Geoff**: Good idea. Jakob already looks like an idiot.

**Momo**: Sad but true. So what do we dare her to do?

**Geoff**: Well she doesn't have an actual body since she died and everything…I got nothing.

**Momo**: What did that have to do with this?

**Geoff**: I don't know, but I just felt like pointing that out since you weren't there when it happened.

**Momo**: Oh sure. Throw that in my face!

**Geoff**: Well you shouldn't have been gone then!

* * *

"Here's what I want you guys to do: Gaia, step on this panel here-," Sarah was pointing to the third switch we'd triggered, "-and don't move. I then want Jake to _immediately_ step on the second panel we hit. That should lower that first floor. Nich and Momo should go down with him. I want the two of you to run around the wall that Katie is standing on-," here, I waved stupidly from my perch, "-and jump on the floor that I believe will rise a short time later to another tall floor. From there, you two are going to have to switch off and on to do this.

"Someone's going to have to step outside of the Ring and get one of those stone keys and bring it back. Since you're not going to be able to pick it up, I want you guys to take quick, fast, immediate switches where one of you will kick the key back into the Chalice's protection circle, OK? Don't die, the either of you. I don't want you to push yourselves too far and not come back, all right? Not like…Mackentosh."

Sarah's grim reminder proved to Nich and Momo that what they were preparing themselves to do was dangerous. Very deadly. Once the two that were getting ready to risk their lives proved that they were going to take this task very seriously gave the OK, Sarah readied everyone to the best points for the best take-offs. She raised one arm in the air as if she were a flag girl at the racetrack and let it drop.

From my vantage point, I could see everyone take off so fast they were nearly blurs. My heart jumped into my throat when Momo and Nich came and jumped onto the quickly rising level to my left. They patted each others backs and tested their breathing a bit. They gave me the thumbs up sign which I quickly relayed to the others waiting anxiously on my other side for information. They all looked relieved to get the message.

My attention quickly returned to the couple back on my left though. They were holding each other tightly in an embrace and I kind of got the feeling that I wasn't supposed to be looking, so I turned my head a bit. They got their bit of making out over with. Momo gripped Nich's hand tightly once. Before he bolted out towards the key I could just barely make out through the swirling Miasma.

I clasped my hands together so roughly, I soon cut off all circulation to them. My knuckles were white once the Asian made it to the key. But he stumbled. After his third kick, he nearly collapsed and Momo ran out to him before a cry could escape my throat. She hurriedly draped him over her small shoulders and with a furious one-legged kick, sent the key flying like it was a pebble towards the wall.

Her adrenaline rush however, seemed to have run its course. Her legs were wobbling horribly, and she was still a few yards away from the Chalice's ring. I couldn't help myself. I cried out and jumped off my little-over-thirteen-feet tower. When I hit the ground, I was rolling, quickly leaving behind the alarmed yells of my friends.

I burst through the safety ring and instantly felt the Miasma's eager fingers winding seductively around my skin. I shook the nauseous feelings off though, and hurried to Momo and Nich's side. Both were turning blue. Dammit!

I bent down and grabbed each one of my friends, tucking them safely under my arms. For once, I noticed a bit of my strength because my arms weren't indeed noodles anymore; they bulged with healthy muscle. I ran as fast as my waning strength would allow and dove into the ring of pure air, gulping down great gulps.

When I had gained back enough air, I looked down at my previously-collapsed friends. Color was already returning to their faces though their hearts were beating rather fast. I checked their pulses; racing quickly, but sure to slow down once their bodies realized that they weren't in any more danger.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID I TELL THEM?!"

Oh shit. Maybe they were in some sort of trouble now. Once Sarah got a hold of these two, they were sure to receive a sound beating.

* * *

It wasn't until Morgan and Nich woke up that Sarah unleashed her _full_ rage upon them. She continued to lecture the pair about being needlessly reckless and getting themselves killed. The couple held each other and bowed their heads to protect each other from Sarah's verbal assault. The rest of us, meanwhile, were all gathered down on the last pedestal level a little ways away from Sarah and her victims. She sure knew how to be scary when the time called for it.

She turned around and then proceeded to drag her sufferers towards us. Lebal fluttered a bit higher so that he would be out of her reach should she decide to attack someone else. She dumped them unceremoniously on the ground causing us all to flinch. Nich and Momo gingerly picked themselves – and what was left of their dignity – up and nudged their way to the back of us. Sarah looked pointedly at the group before her with hands on her hips.

"Well? Let's get a move on!" she barked and gestured for me to take the lead.

* * *

Over the next three days we wondered aimlessly through the labyrinth of Rebena te Ra with little to no activity. It was highly boring and on more than one occasion, I spotted Geoff ogling a riverbed that he might be able to kill himself off of if he jumped. I assigned Jakob to keep an eye on him lest he actually followed through.

So it was early morning on that third day that Gaia came running back to us after having gone off to relieve himself, waving his hands in the air. Apparently he had also forgotten to pull up his pants in his hysteria because they were bunched around his ankles and were begging to be tripped which Amy did gladly. This caused the Clavat to go flying through the air and land sprawled at my feet. I couldn't help but burst out laughing until he yelled,

"I found the boss!"

The air suddenly took on a very serious tone indeed.

We all grouped around the blond while he recounted his tale of having walked by this large crack in the cliff face on his way back to us that radiated evil Miasma like no other.

"—and when I peered into it, a shower of static rained out at me! I think I found it, I really do!"

Lebal landed next to me with a _thud_ and that told me that he must be taking this _quite_ seriously since he generally liked to spend as little time as possible being anywhere near me.

"Hmm…Ish def'nately uh 'lectral beasht, wouldn'cha say?" he asked us at large.

There was a chorus of agreement and a flurry of suggestions as to what we should equip now so's to save time during battle.

"Ob'vushly yeh should use soom 'lectral defnshiv shtuff," Lebal said helpfully. I batted him away and he was reminded again why he didn't like me very much. He toppled backwards off the Chalice, but nobody seemed to really notice. We were too busy unloading all of our Thunder-resistant equipment onto the ground in front of us to see who would get what. There was a surprising amount of stuff all slammed into our packs and we decided along the way to throw out some of the more useless things.

It was decided that we all would be equipped with a variation of the Storm armor pieces since they were the best kind to be used against a boss using Thunder. But Hanna was given the Talisman of Wisdom since she was easily the best magic-user and it would allow her to cast spells much faster than normal. We adjusted our helms, armlets, shields, and sashes so that they fit perfectly and let Gaia take us back to this giant crack.

And it wasn't long before a wave of pressure could be felt coming from in front of us. Although no visible source could be seen, a giant fissure loomed above us and demanded our attention. We looked into it and a huge blast of static-filled air bombarded us. We fell straight back with all the hairs on our bodies standing on end. I quickly ran my hands through my short hair before I could get made fun of for looking like Einstein and got back up.

"I think we found it," I said unnecessarily.

"Yes, Katie. Where would we be without your great logic leading us all?" Amy muttered rather sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at her and plunged first into the darkness.

The going was rough and difficult, especially since the farther we went, the more intense the pressure became. It was like trying to go against hurricane-force winds. That is, until we emerged into a humongeous room that resembled the temples of old. There were stone pillars lining the sides of the room and it wasn't until our eyes landed on something large that was moving in a corner of the room that we noticed the gales were gone entirely.

"What do you think…?" Geoff was beginning to ask me, whispering into my ear.

But he never got a chance to finish his question since with a screech that shook the foundations of the earth, the boss reared up and showed itself.

* * *

**RAC:** Hey you guys~! Sorry for not updating last week. ((I can't even remember why I didn't .)) But I appreciate ya'll still readin' my story! Hope you guys like this chapter and I'll TRY and remember next week, OK? Happy Valentine's Day! I'm off to celebrate with Nich so see ya!


	85. The Boss Lich

**Momo**: It wasn't my fault! The cave _had _just kind of _collapsed_!

**Geoff**: Don't blame Mother Nature for your stupidity!

**Momo**: You're one to talk! You were trapped under an effing rock!

**Geoff**: Shut up! It took a lot of effort to stay conscious!

**Momo**: There could have been an easier way!

**Geoff**: I said shut up!

**Momo**: Why don't you make me!

_As everyone turned to look as Geoff and Momo get into a fight where the other one tries to beat up the other, they sigh and go to the kitchen to get something to eat. In returning they still find Geoff and Momo fighting like the idiots they are, sending insults towards the other._

**Katie**: Would you two just shut up already?!

* * *

It was darkly covered with a skull-like red and white bone-carved mask. It held a large bone staff in its right wing-hand that had a fan on top. Its back end fanned out into black and red feather and a large stinger bobbed up and down. It didn't appear to have any legs and instead hovered around like a dangerous bee.

When the ringing stopped in our ears, we barely had time to notice that it was zooming toward us and to take the Magecite that Sarah was quickly dishing out before it was upon us It raised its staff and, putting the point first, slammed it into the earth dangerously close to Gaia's rear end. Luckily, Gaia was able to quickstep away and appear on the other end of the room, away from everyone else. Lebal quickly expanded the Chalice's ring to cover the whole room and thus expanded our range of movement.

The blond Clavat took a step backwards and stumbled a bit when his foot fell into a shallow indentation in the floor with a soft _click_. He looked down and saw a sort of switch with a feather-like design on it. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what purpose it had, then realized it must've affected the boss in some way because it curled back on itself and came for him.

"Oh **_shit_**!"

So he high-tailed it out of there with the monster tailing him and taking turns attacking with its staff and giant stinger.

"Somebody call the fucking exterminator!!!!" he bellowed as he blasted by me. I took the split-second chance I had to determine where the bug was gonna go next and threw myself onto the ground beneath it, aiming my Rune Blade up. The boss passed momentarily above me and I slashed with all my might, but instead of cutting open the stomach, it cut _nothing_.

"What the--?!" I snarled and flung myself out of the way before the monster's stinger got me. "Why didn't it work?!"

Gaia appeared by my side, panting and out of breath. Apparently it had given up on him for the time being and was attacking someone else. Dust shook on us form above.

"I thu-think we guh-gotta hit the other switch…!" he explained and gestured wildly to the other end of the room where the faint outline of a button could be seen. I took a quick glance at the others who didn't seem to be having much luck in the physical attacks department at all. Their swords merely bounced off the beast and magic ricocheted off it. I saw Momo bellow at Nich not to use his Meteor Blast and Geoffrey tackle him before he could finish it. The ball of power fizzled out above the boss.

"It's nahm ess Lich!" Lebal shouted uselessly from above the battlefield.

I nodded and took Gaia's hand as we ran across the battlefield towards the button, dodging misfired spells and flying bodies.

Jake and Geoff must've seen my nonchalant hand-holding and stopped moving because a moment later, the two of them were flying through the air in front of us and slammed into the spot of wall that we were aiming for. There was a _click_ and Lich's sudden screams of pain as our attacks finally penetrated his defenses.

"Jakob! Geoffrey!" Gaia and I cried and bolted forward. The two guys were breathing and already sitting up, glaring at the both of us.

"What the hell was that about?" they asked us, pointedly staring at our still intertwined hands. I immediately dropped Gaia's, much to his disappointment.

"YOU GUYS! WATCH OUT!!!"

I barely had time to register a blazing fireball aimed right at us before everything went white-hot and dark.

* * *

I awoke with a pounding headache, my head in Hanna's lap. The sounds of a raging battle reached my ears from behind her. I groaned groggily and shook visions of a starry rock garden from my mind. She quickly helped me sit up and I noticed that a sheen of fine golden dust fell from me. I stood up with her and shook the rest of it off.

"So I…?"

"Yes. You died. Luckily I had one of those Phoenix Downs on me, huh?" Hanna said cheerfully patting me on the back. I nodded my thanks and we took off down the slope after I checked that the other guys were all OK as well. They were already down there fighting Lich and there was no way in hell I was going to miss out on _my_ piece of the action.

"Glad to see you're back among the living, Kate!" Amy called from where she was hanging onto the bone-staff. She cried out as she was shaken violently, but managed to land on her feet a couple yards away.

It was as I was watching Amy go sailing by that I came to a sudden realization: Lich could _fly_! That meant that if Gravity were to be used on it, that its power would be significantly reduced to almost nothing. _And_ it would be much slower making our physical attacks more affective. So I proceeded to dodge attacks and slash up a few limbs on my way to Sarah who then darted off to gather those who had the Magecite capable of casting Gravity.

I couldn't see around Lich's huge bulk obviously, so when I caught the words "out" and "way" above the sounds of battle, I knew well-enough that I should high-tail it out of range. I turned around a moment after I heard the tremendous thunderings of Lich falling from the air and breaking rocks. I saw his body crumple back into that curled shape that we'd originally found him in and thought we had won. That is, until, I saw a strange purple fog being to emanate from the supposed corpse.

"Umm…?"

"RUUUN!!" shouted those who had been behind Lich's body on its collapse. Jake, Sarah, and Nich all were running towards me with a speed I didn't think possible. They appeared to almost be as fast as—

"OOF!"

"They _told_ you to move you dumbass!" Gaia yelled at me. I was thrown over his shoulder and he was running back out the cave's entrance. I couldn't see anyone else and just assumed that they were too far back for me to notice. We burst back into open air and soon after felt that familiar pressure building from inside the cave. A moment later, the rest of our caravan emerged. And just in time too. A dazzling purple light preceded an explosion that shook the entire area like an earthquake. A screech followed it, followed by yet _another_ explosion as the whole side of the cliff burst open and Lich appeared in the clearing.

"HOLY SHIT!" Geoffrey howled helpfully.

Lich's body emerged from the gaping hole and we found it dragged itself along with its staff rather adeptly. But it was leaving a trail of blood in its wake and we knew it wouldn't be long until it died.

"Come on you guys!" someone yelled and we charged forward and renewed our attacks.

However, Lich seemed to have another attack hidden up its sleeve and it unleashed it with evil intents. That eerie purple glow surrounded its body and in the blink of an eye, Thunder boomed from its body and half of my friends were instantly paralyzed with expressions of fear and pain etched onto their faces. I looked up and found Lebal who looked like he'd just swallowed a bad bunch of Rainbow Grapes.

"I _thought_ you said the armor would protect us from Thunder!" I cried angrily. The Moogle looked down at me.

"Hey! I thought yeh knew tat de armor wush only Thunder _rezishtant_, not Thunder _proffed_."

Whatever. There was no point or time to tell him off because Lich was dragging his disgusting body towards Amy who was nearest to it and raising his staff to pierce her on it like a butterfly specimen. If she could've screamed, I bet she would have, but thank all gods that Jakob wasn't frozen. I had passed Gaia on my mad dash to save her and thought she would've been killed. But the prince managed to get to her and heave her paralyzed body away from danger. Then a white kind of spell I'd never seen before hit the boss dead-center and it died right in front of me.

It took a moment or two for me to be able to lower my sword from the attack I had it in. I turned slowly on the spot and saw that the others were all staring wide-eyed at Sarah and Hanna who were side-by-side with their mouths hanging open like they just couldn't believe what they had done.

"What the _hell_ was that?!" I asked excitedly, sheathing my sword and bouncing up and down excitedly in front of the two of them. Both girls shook their heads as similar questions were thrown at them. But they barfed up their Magecite as did everyone else and Sarah stored them wordlessly in her bag, her mind working crazily on just what might've caused such an attack to occur. The sound of rumbling and breaking rock reached our ears from somewhere below us and we just managed to dive out of the way before a hole appeared and a Myrrh tree was seen winding its roots into the surrounding soil and taking hold.

Once more I was held captive by the beauty of such a thing that was able to thrive in a world that appeared to have died long ago. Lebal dropped the Chalice next to me and I was pushed forward towards its roots and the little stone table. I gently placed it there and took a step back and the Myrrh dripped from the tips of the branches and filled up our Chalice another third of the way.

Only one more drop until we could go home.

* * *

**RAC: **Hola people! What a wonderfully snowy day it is for updating. I'm in a great mood, 'cause of things that happened yesterday ((guess with who! LoL)) and I've got a job interview. Yay! This unemployed writer might get her first job as a waitress at Bob Evans. _smile_ **R & R**everyone_!_


	86. Arrival in Port Tipa

**Amy**: Yeah. Just choose someone and get it over with.

**Sarah**: Yeah. Your fighting is making you look like idiots…Well, more like idiots and also dumbasses.

**Momo and Geoff**: *_glare at Sarah_* Fine then! We choose you Sarah!

**Sarah**: Fine then. Dare me dimwits.

**Momo and Geoff**: Okay then! We dare you to…

_**KABOOOOOM!!!! **giant explosions shake the building and everyone runs for cover_

**Katie: **WHAT'S HAPPENING?!

* * *

"Well-done, Kate," Amy said, patting my back. I received similar compliments from the others, but our little party was cut short by the sound of rocks falling from above. We immediately dropped into defensive crouches, but we didn't have any kind of need to be alarmed.

"Reum!" Lebal regaled loudly, flapping his wings happily as his other Moogle friend appeared from the top of the destroyed mountain. He had another batch of letters in his mouth and I just vaguely wondered how it always knew where to find us. But it flapped into our midst and dropped the letters it had.

We then proceeded to spend the next half hour or so leisurely relaxing against large boulders and replying to our letters. This time, mine was from Roland:

_Hello young Kaitlyn. I hope this finds you well. That rat Reum is hardly a reliable messenger Moogle. I wanted to wish you a good journey and remind you to update that journal whenever you get the chance! We're all just dieing here to know what your journey's been like so far. I'm told Margaret mentioned something of a party for you when you come back. And yes, there will be one. I'm going to warn you now that she's cooking up some secret sort of outfits for your lot. She hasn't shown anyone yet, but her inn's doing really well and I saw her sneak a bolt of blue silk into her back room the last time I was there. All right then, I hope to hear back from you seen._

_Roland_

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the old man's letter. Since we had kind of missed the last two parties Alfitaria had tried having for us, I felt it was only right that we try and hurry back there as soon as possible. I wrote a reply to thank him for his warning and then jotted down a summary of out battle with Lich. A shadow fell across the last page I was working on and Jakob plopped down in the shade of my rock with me.

"Who's it from?" he asked curiously, jutting his chin at the letter I gave to Reum. I giggled as he went over to Gaia to bug him for his letter and got himself kicked across the grounds for it.

"Roland," I told the prince and sighed myself to silence. I always felt good after a long hard battle. It always brought a sense of peace to me, knowing that I was just that much closer to finishing up the quest and…and what? I blanched and pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

"He have anything interesting to say?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Not really. Unless you count Margaret planning another huge dress-up party for us on the return trip _interesting_." I shivered to show that I thought it was anything _but_. Jakob laughed.

"Haha. No, I don't suppose you _would _find that kind of thing good. You're such a _tom_boy, Katie."

I stuck my tongue out at the prince and stood up. Reum was flying off with all of our letters – _and _a bruised backside. Gaia looked rather pleased with himself I noticed.

"Come on, we gotta plan where we're going next!" I said. I reached out my hand and the prince took it, pulling himself to his feet. I gathered everyone together and pulled the map from out of my backpack where it was rather rumpled, but luckily not torn or holey in any places. We spent a moment looking for Rebena te Ra before finding it and tracing our hands along the paper searching for the next closest area that would be likely to have a Myrrh Tree. Moschet Manor looked promising. I voiced this, and no one seemed to be too averse to this suggestion except for Geoffrey who wouldn't quite say why.

"We've gotta take a boat to get to it, though. Port Tipa's a little beachy place that's about a…well…It shouldn't be too far away. We've just gotta get there and we can restock on food and supplies," Sarah told us all this while being OK'd by Lebal who was proving to be _quite _the world-traveler indeed.

So we rolled up the map and headed west.

* * *

"FOOOOD!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs once we found the outskirts of Port Tipa's village. I had spotted a small bread shop identifiable only by the sign that was swinging above the door with a picture of a Bannock loaf on it. But the shop was about a quarter mile away and I began sprinting head-long into the small fishing village with no thought to how I must look.

Which must've been flat-out freaking _nuts_ because I hadn't bathed in almost two months, was thinning because I hadn't eaten in almost a week – it had been two since we'd gotten out of Rebena te Ra – and was decked out in my armor. And I was kind of screaming my head off. It would've been wise to remember that Sarah was the one with the money pouch and so pelting towards the shop with everything I had was probably the stupidest thing I could've done. But it _did_ get us noticed so that by the time my companions had all squeezed inside the little store, I was chowing down on some free loaves of bread.

"It's 'cause we're the caravan Tsiknus!" I said after swallowing a large hunk of bread. The others more calmly than I had done, ordered some bread of their own, but still had that crazy look in their eyes that comes with near-starvation. The shopkeeper gave us all the bread that was cooked already and decided to close up his shop. He shunted us outside after having given us sacks to carry our food in. As if we didn't already have enough crap loading us down, now it looked like we'd robbed the poor guy when we entered the streets again. It was then that someone familiar caught my eye and I started waving one free arm hysterically in the air.

"HEY!!! Cabbage Guy!" I cried, being unable to remember the old man's real name. He still had his cart full of cabbages and was rolling happily through the town's square when he heard that all too familiar yell. I saw his back stiffen with what was presumably pleasure. "He remembers me!" I chirped to the others happily, pointing this out to them. Nich laid an arm on my shoulder and leaned down,

"Um. Not quite hon: Look."

And a trail of fallen cabbages showed that the cabbage man had run away down a side street away from us. I felt put out and chewed on some bread to stifle my insults as the others laughed for the first time in a long while.

"Let's go find an inn. I wanna dump all this crap off somewhere so we don't have to carry it, y'know?" Amy said conversationally. She cracked her shoulder as if to show how sore she was. It sounded like a good enough decision so we ambled about aimlessly through the town while noticing it was a clean little place and had that clean salty smell about the air that was a characteristic of seaside cities. Several times I thought I saw a wrinkled bald head poke out from behind buildings, but decided against mentioning – or throwing – anything.

We soon located the inn as it was the second largest building in the area. At its tall pointed steeple there was a blue and gold flag with the Clavatian feather symbol on it signaling that it was a business run by that race. We gathered on the wrap-around porch and knocked politely on the door, ignoring the white curtains that fluttered open and faces that peered out at us curiously. Apparently Tipa didn't get a lot of caravans.

The front door opened and we were greeted warmly and excitedly by a young Clavat woman I thought to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She had a sweet face and golden blonde hair that was pulled back from either side of her face by two thin braids that joined in the back and pulled into a bun. She had on a white halter top that bore her midriff and showed off a nicely sculpted stomach. A golden belt adorned her hips off of which flowed a pair of puffy red pants. White gauntlets adorned her wrists, but her feet were bare. She smiled a dazzling smile at us and Sarah had to punch Gaia in the stomach to remind him to close his gaping mouth. She frowned huffily.

Jake was next to me and I could just feel that he was subtly eyeing the hostess in front of us. Geoff wasn't ogling at all, which I found calmed my rising hackles a bit Amy nudged me in the back and reminded me that I should probably say something. I stumbled over my words for a moment before saying that we were the caravan Tsiknus. I verified this by taking the Chalice from Lebal whose white cheek fur was tinged pink. Great. This girl had the power to even turn on a frickin' Moogle!

"—and we were hoping you had enough lodging to put us up for a night or two…?" I finished lamely, finding myself unable to meet her eyes. I looked at her abs and wondered just vaguely if I had anything like that. I hadn't seen myself in a mirror for quite some time, but could feel that I was a _much_ different person than I was before I came to this world. I was hoping they had one here. The woman's tinkling laughter interrupted my thoughts and I accidentally looked into her beautiful face.

"Oh, Child, do not be embarrassed. Come in, come in, I'll be glad to give you all rooms for however long you like. And--?"

She noticed that none of us were moving. She cocked her head to the side before realization hit her. None of us girls were looking at her, but the guys were. She felt her face warm up a bit and made a mental note to tell her helper girls to change their uniforms for the time being. She clicked her tongue and gestured for us to come in again.

Just inside the door there was a packed dirt floor and to the left of this was a floor-to-ceiling rack with different kinds of shoes in it. She explained that it was customary for everyone to take their shoes off before coming in and we all did so before stepping up onto a spotlessly clean wooden foyer. Another door awaited us a couple of feet away. The blonde woman slapped herself.

"How rude of me. My name is Nyltiak and I am the hostess of the inn in Port Tipa. You can call me Nyl. And who're you? If I may be so inclined to ask?"

The guys – minus Geoffrey of course – were practically falling over themselves as they announced themselves and followed Nyl through the second door and into her inn. I noticed right away that it was an extremely nice inn and even though Port Tipa was hardly even a fraction of Alfitaria, it was much bigger. Maybe that was because Alfitaria was so crowded and everything was built going up. Here, the buildings were allowed to spread out more. When we walked through the other door, a gleaming wooden floor caught my attention. I could see myself in it. And all around the room there were shining rows of benches, tables, and chairs with cushions on them. All types of folk were gathered there, and there were several workers on this floor. Three were girls and two were guys. All appeared to be around our age and looked similar to Nyl who introduced them all as her children.

"The other four have already moved out and have families of their own around the land though," she said proudly.

This time, it was the girls' turn to have their mouths fall open. The guys felt their hearts break. The woman was married? **_And she had ten freaking kids?!_** I found that to be amazing. I mean, that figure! She was truly a remarkable woman. Atleast I knew I didn't have any competition anymore. Wait…competition for..._what_?

* * *

**RAC: **Hey ppl! Thanks for being patient with me about bad updates. I made this chappie extra-long for you guys! Oh, and I did get the job. Yaya!!

**Katie: **WHAT'S HAPPENING?!

* * *


	87. Deadly Bath Attack

_Just to make this easier on everyone, and so I can continue having fun jackin' around with all my characters, let's just say I got an angry e-mail from someone who told me that the disclaimer was getting boring with the T or D - a game at which I epic fail epically, and so I decided to change it some. Aliens bombed the house, ok everyone?! LoL And now they all magically forgot about the game and whatnot. The disclaimer's not ever supposed to be making any sense, all right?! XD_

**Amy**: Momo? Psst, over here?

**Momo**: Hey, Pookies. What're you doing up here?

**Amy**: Trying to get your attention stealthily.

**Momo**: I love stealth!

**Amy**: Look, I'm worried about Kate. I was-

**Momo**: Shhhh. They might be listening.

**Amy**: Who?

**Momo**: THEM. Her overlords. BE STEALTHY.

**Amy**: Um, Momo, I don't think-

**Momo**: Uh-oh, Katie is getting restless! We'd better get back down there before she goes and gives the plot away.

**Amy**: What plot? What are you talking about?

**Momo**: Nothing to see here, nice overlords. Not a thing. Tra la la. (Call me later, A.)

* * *

All the girls were pretty blondes – identical triplets, they had to be - and the two guys were super cute with crazy black hair and smoldering eyes. The girls wore the same uniform as their mother and I felt the guys' stares turn to the unpregnant teens. The guys wore baggy white pants and an open red vest with nothing underneath to hide their hard, lean bodies. I wiped my mouth before anyone could notice. I tossed the Chalice back to Lebal so I could free my hands and shake with all of Nyl's kids.

"They're names are Eitak, Yma, Anitsirhc, Haras, and Teragram."

"How do you do?" they all asked in bell-tone voices.

Damn they were all so cute! I couldn't help but become horribly self-conscious of my appearance and the way some of the inn's guests were scooting away from us. Our hosts stayed where they were however, their perfect smiles gleaming. Nyl waved her hand around the wide, open room and told her kids to take us to our rooms while she took care of the paperwork.

"A-and where are your baths?" I asked a bit too loudly. There was a ripple of stifled laughter around the room and I colored red Nyl smiled kindly however and said her kids would show us.

So I allowed myself to be herded up five flights of stairs to the _top_ floor and just vaguely wondered why it was _always_ the top. The triplets kindly extracted the girls group from the guys who were lead down a separate wing of the building by the two boys and took us to the last two rooms on the landing.

"We hope you find the rooms to your liking!" they trilled together and opened two side-by-side doors simultaneously.

Inside were two large rooms that would be equivalent to presidential suites nowadays. The beds – three in each – were big four posters with trailing red curtains that could be pulled around with a small cord to give privacy. Large bay windows set on the far wall gave us all an extravagant view of the sea and port out of which many sailboats were going. I knew because I had thrown myself against them and was squealing something terrible. Pretty wooden bureaus and trunks were arranged around the room and a set of sliding doors set adjacent to the windows proved to be a closet of sorts. The floor was also a polished wood and gleamed.

"It's-_perfect_!" I gushed happily, throwing myself onto a bed and claiming it as mine. My heavy backpack cracked against me and ruined my happy moment with throbbing agony however. I cried out and the others chuckled.

"If you want, we will take you to the bathing areas now. And we could wash all of your belongings too," the triplets said to us together again.

_'How do they **do** that?'_

Sarah sat up on her bed and Amy on the other. Momo and Hanna came in from the other room and we exchanged apprehensive looks. Would we be able to trust these people with _everything_ we had? One look at the totally innocent girls solved that question for us and we nodded that they could and stripped off our packs and armor, standing there in the clothes we'd had on for weeks. A new meaning of the word _odorous_ came to my mind and the pretty girls' faces crinkled only just.

"Think you can carry this stuff to the washing area or will you need help?" I asked politely, noting that Eitak, Yma, and Anitsirhc weren't as well-built as their mother. The girls assured us that they were and went over to the closet where a set of towels and soaps was set in a bucket on one of the shelves. They piled everything into our arms and lead the way down three floors to the second one. We went around a ben and came to a set of double doors with a picture of a triangle pointing up.

"It means girls," one of the triplets explained when we looked quizzically at the sign. We nodded and they pushed the doors apart from each other and let us into a room with slippery wet floors that had a large hole against one wall and a pump on the other.

"You've got to pump the water up that way. Do it hard and fast and you'll find that the water flows more easily than if you go slow. Ring this set of chimes here," the tallest of the trio pointed at a set of pretty redwood chimes, "and we'll come and help you. Plug the stopper there on the edge of the tub into the bottom so the water doesn't run and place it back on the edge when you have finished. Ok?"

The five of us nodded. But I had a question.

"How can we tell you apart?"

Amy nudged me painfully in the ribs telling me this was rude. But the laughter I received told me that this was a question the girls got a lot. They stood in a line and said, "I'm the tallest. So I'm Anitsirhc." The girl in question couldn't have been more than a half-inch taller than any of her sisters, so it was kind of hard for me to tell.

The second girl pointed to the lower part of her right cheek where a small mole adorned her otherwise flawless skin. "And this makes me Yma, ok?"

And the last girl swept her bangs to the right side of her face. "And I part my bangs this way so I'm Eitak."

"Any other questions?" they asked together. I couldn't help but feel elated. These were good people.

"No thank you."

"Bye then!" and they left.

"OK! So who's going to pump that water, huh…?" I asked, turning to the others. But they were already stripped and laying in the large tub, spread out so much so that there was hardly any room left for me.

"Oh fine you heartless bitches. _I'll_ do it," I said dramatically.

* * *

And thus passed my first bath in probably two months. And it was a well-deserved bath too. It took for_ever_ to pump enough water to fill that giant tub. And by then, the steam from the heat had practically made seeing from wall to wall impossible and the floor even slicker than normal. I only found the tub by _falling into it _even though I was right next to it. I practically _died_! Not to mention having to find the soap in that stupid thing when Hanna became uncharacteristically clumsy and dropped the whole bucket into the tub, leaving us with no towels and no soap.

Well, I shouldn't say that we didn't have _any_ soap. We did manage to recover one bar of it, over which we all fought like crazy ladies so we could wash our hair and faces with it, having not been given another kind otherwise. It slipped out of the current holder's hands – Momo's – when we tackled her to the bottom of the tub, releasing a tidal wave of steamy water over the poor floor. And when we rang the chimes Amy hit while looking for soap, and the triplets came to give us more towels and soap, they all ended up falling on the newly-soaked floors, getting their uniforms totally soaked and sending us all into hysterics.

This brought our four guys whose bathroom was apparently on the other side of the building, but still on the same floor running before Haras and Teragram could tell them that they were going towards the _girls'_ bathroom. They ended up skidding to a halt – none to gracefully since the open door had allowed the build-up of water to cascade into the hallway and slick up everything else too – and gawked at all of us. Me, Sarah, and Hanna all piled on top of Momo who was practically breaking her neck to crane it back and above water, and Amy who was still sitting only semi-conscious against the wall beneath the chimes. Although the triplets' now see-through white pants didn't go unnoticed by them either. Nor did the scent of freshly cleaned female bodies.

Haras and Teragram came flying around the bend much to quickly in the next second however and ended up flailing like buffoons before rocketing into our guys and sending them flying down the hallway, much to our enjoyment. There was still a lot of steam, for which Amy who was fully exposed was grateful for, so they couldn't seen much of anything from their vantage point on the floor.

None the less, Amy slithered into the tub with the rest of us and Nyl's kids hurriedly left the restroom to get us even _more_ towels and mops to clear the floor with so they wouldn't die the second time they came back.

* * *

"We're so sorry!" I had my girls and I say in a terribly apologetic voice when we were all wrapped up in towels because our laundry wasn't done yet to Nyl. Gathered all in one room as we were, they was a flurry of laughter as the woman kept most of her mirth in check. She was gripping her stomach rather hard I noticed. I blushed and apologized for us all again. Nyl waved her arms needlessly at us and smiled.

"No, no. It's ok. It's _okay_! We haven't had this much fun in ages! You guys are the most entertaining guests we've ever had! Don't apologize for it, ok?"

Nonetheless, I couldn't help but throw in another 'I'm sorry' anyway. Nyl clucked at me and backed out of the doorway as her triplets came into the room with their arms laden down with our five packs.

"Everything's cleaned, although some of the rather strange materials were hard to deal with…," Yma dropped my bag onto my bed and I took she meant my Nike tennis shoes that were no longer the shiny white they had been in my world, but a very clean grey. I smiled.

"Awesome you guys! Thanks a lot," I said.

"Your swords and armor are still downstairs. Though I _do_ believe you are missing a shoulder pad, Katie. And Sarah…your shield?" Eitak said, acting as if she was checking things off on her fingers. We nodded, pleased that they had noticed and surprised that we had forgotten. But by now, it was getting to be in the late afternoon and they said that the shops closed around this time because it would start getting dark in a moment. Reminded me of daylight saving's time where I came from.

We said that was OK and would go to the smithie the next morning and get supplies for the next leg of our journey which would be to take a boat to Moschet Manor where a Myrrh Tree was and then we'd come back and high tail it _alll_ the way back to Alfitaria for that welcome home party thing or whatever.

"Let us know if you need anything!" Nyl chirped before closing our door.

Soon after Momo and Hanna left to go back to their room, taking their things with them and expecting their weapons to be returned in the morning. The rest of us sat on our beds and talked about the day, where we would be going next, and munched on our lifetime's supply of Bannock Bread while laughing and having an all around good time. It was then I thought now would be a good time to jot down some stuff in the journal, so I bounced to the end of my bed and extracted it from the bottom of my bag that now smelled like soap instead of dieing catfish. I checked that the pen was still in the crease of my last entry and wrapped the red curtain around my bed just so that I was hidden from the other twos' views.

"Hey!" Amy called out indignantly. "What're you doing that you don't want us to see, eh?"

"Oh nothing. She's got that journal thing, Amy. Calm down," Sarah told her. I solidified that fact for her and crawled beneath the blankets to write.

* * *

**RAC: **Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating last night. I went to see 'Race to Witch Mountain' with Nich last night...? And it was SOOOOO amazing! You should totally go and see it!!! NOT even kidding. So, we didn't end up getting back to myhouse until around 11:30 p.m. and by then the computer with internet ((my mom's - in her room)) was unavailable and I couldn't update. So here's another longer chappie for you. _smile_. Repay me with a review or TWELVE why don'cha?


	88. Time to Travel

**Geoff**: I am going to assume that is your sweet, sweet way of making clear that I am NOT a "typical" mountain bandit, rather than some overly-hormonal teenager?

**Katie**: What are you doing down here?

**Geoff**: Don't evade the issue.

**Katie**: There is no danger, Geoff, of anyone thinking you are typical. Or even normal.

**Geoff**: Be careful that you don't choke yourself with all that cackling, Katie. Or I shall call you Girl Whose Idea Of A Good Time Is To Replace Letters In Sassafras.

**Katie**: Do as you see fit, Boy Who Robs Children of Candy.

**Geoff**: You may be laughing now. But who will be laughing when-

**Sarah**: Hey, Kate. When it's my turn to have a chapter, do you think you could say something about how I have a cool scar now? Or a single alarming eyebrow? Ooh, what about a snaggletooth?

**Katie**: Um, I'll think about it.

**Sarah**: You are a really bad liar. Anyway, do you know where the nearest pack of food's at? Me and my snaggletooth are starving.

**

* * *

**

**Year One**

**Entry 21**

**_So we've made it to the city of Port Tipa after having almost starved to death in the wilderness between Rebena te Ra and here. We met the beautiful innkeeper Nyltiak and five of her great kids. They're really great and everything's fine so far._**

**_We're gonna leg it to the smithie and supply shops tomorrow and hopefully head off afterwards. I wonder how much Gil it'll be to get passage across the water for nine people? I hope we've got enough!_**

**_I'm really going to miss being in this Port, but we'll pass through again on our return journey, and then we'll be headed on home again!_**

* * *

The next morning I woke up rather late. Probably because this was the first time I had actually slept in a bad that didn't involve half-ragged blankets and hard rocks in a while. I stretched luxuriously and smiled at the fact that when I did this, my legs didn't dangle over the edges. Apparently at some point during the night, someone had taken my journal and placed it on the little night stand beside the bed. My pen lay on top of it.

For a moment, I lay there, curled in the warmth of my blankets, before getting up and whisking the curtain away from the half of my bed. I stepped onto the cold wooden floors and shivered. There was the lovely smell of cooking something and I was instantly drawn to it, but had to get dressed first. My days of walking around in my "underwear" were behind me.

But I realized that the clothes the triplets had washed for me in my bag were not in fact the clothes I had brought with me when I first legged it from River Belle Path. Instead, there were three whole new sets of clothes, a traveling cloak, some socks, and a pair of soft moccasins. Interesting. I pulled out a soft brown skirt and long-sleeved white top and put them on. Fit fantastically, but wearing a skirt after so long was so strange! I slipped on the moccasins as well, to take away that cold chill.

"Hey Amy. Sarah…?" I called softly towards the other two beds that had had their curtains pulled. No answer. I padded to them and looked through the curtains. Nothing. So they must've gone downstairs already. I went back to fasten by bag and noted my gleaming armor and sword that was stacked there. "Hey, who got me my shoulder guard?" I mumbled, running a finger over the new piece. I got kind of worried, thinking I had slept far longer than I was supposed to have, and went downstairs after having gathered my shoulder-length hair into my nice new hair tie the girls had left for me.

When I came downstairs, the inn was in fine busy shape and it took me a moment to find where my group was. I spotted Hanna's bright orange hair however and went over. It was a color that was somewhat distinct in this world. I sat down at their table and began pulling foods toward me, questioning people before realizing that nobody was answering me.

"What?" I asked cautiously, swallowing the huge bite of fish I'd taken and looking sheepishly at everyone. I tucked my bangs behind my ear and puckered my lips. Someone then grabbed me from behind and hugged me very, very tightly.

"O-M-G! You are SO cute!"

Damn. Gaia. I shook him off of me and demanded to know what was going on.

"Well, Kate, my guess is that because you are in a skirt – which is indeed rare, since I haven't seen you in a skirt in two years – _and_ have your hair pulled back, and the fact you did that thing with the tucking hair, you have an aura of mild cuteness about you," Amy said thoughtlessly, taking on with her chewing. Ah, Amy, always straight-forward that one. Sarah said something along the same lines and the guys were quick to voice that they thought I looked good in a skirt, but Gaia's encroaching arms stopped me from running back upstairs and changing out of it.

"But. I'll. Never. Wear. It. On. The. Journey!" I was grunting forcefully, mashing my hand against Gaia's face as he held my fast by the waist. I flailed my legs and they came dangerously close to decapitating Nich who turned around to tell me to stop but turned red and shut up. Damn skirts. Jake looked like he was going to get up and beat the hell out of Gaia for harassing me again, but his need to have other people think he was cool was getting in the way. The other guests were looking at the display with scared looks. Haras and Anitsirhc were dusting and sweeping on the other end of the building, and Eitak was giving change to a Clavat from behind a counter, but Nyl and the other wo kids were nowhere to be seen. Until Nyl appeared by our table with a little smirk on her face. Her laughter bubbled up and calmed us all. Today I noticed she and her girls were wearing long blue skirts and white tops that had a low cut to them and were really tight, showing off their chests. I blushed, being at about breast height and everything.

"Everything to your liking I take it?" she asked us. Gaia dropped me down in order to reply. I landed on all fours and kicked him in the shin as I got up. He snarled ferociously at me and told her that they were. That we were getting ready to leg it to the port itself and get going.

"But is there any way I could get a pair of pants instead of this skirt? I mean, it's just not practical where we're going…," I said, feeling like I was asking too much of her.

Nyl said that it was nothing and called Eitak over.

"Here's seven Gil. Go get the girl some black pants, will you?"

The girl nodded and she left out the front door. Simultaneously, another door in the back of the building and the girl's replacement, Teragram appeared and got to work taking orders. I guessed that Yma was in the back cooking or something. When the door swung closed, I was hit with a fresh scent of food.

"I didn't mean to send you to all the trouble…!" I said, flapping my arms and feeling bad.

"No, it was nothing. It's just part of what we do in this town. Now you simply must tell me about your journey. It's been so long since I've met a caravan other than our own…"

And we proceeded to tell Nyl all about our journey, me glazing over the bits that she needn't know about – like my pathetic failures in battle. But these were hastily filled in by the others who seemed determined to make a fool out of me in front of her. We had gotten so wrapped up in our story-telling that Eitak had returned with my pants and the whole inn had gathered around us without my noticing.

"—and Geoff was singing like a crazy madman on the edge of the cliff again, and--,"

It wasn't until I got to that point that I even realized we had gotten the whole inn's attention and that the sun had moved about two hours worth across the sky. I really wanted to leave that day, not wanting to repeat that whole fiasco with Alfitaria and end up staying for weeks in this town, not that it wasn't great or anything. So I wrapped up the tale and soon everyone was clapping and breaking up; dragging chairs away from our end of the room. Nyl's kids hurriedly got back to work as we all went back upstairs and gathered our things from the rooms.

"Hmm…Do you think we should get bigger packs you guys? I mean, if we're going overseas, I don't think we're going to be needing to wear our armor and we can't fit it into our bags as they're already stuffed with our other things…," I trailed off and bit my tongue, staring thoughtfully at my stuff that was still stacked on the trunk.

Anitsirhc, who had been passing by, poked her head in and said she could easily go out and get us large bags. I felt bad again, but Sarah tossed the girl three thousand Gil to spend on the bags. I bugged my eyes.

"Sarah!"

"Hey, we gotta get bigger bags too, ya selfish wench!"

The guys appeared in our doorway, having been lead there by Haras and Teragram. Lebal fluttered in after them. The two working guys left and all of us got into the room and lounged about while we waited for our bags to arrive.

They did and soon enough, our things were all packed neatly into them, along with our armor, shields, and new blankets. Our swords were tied to belts that we kept at our hips. Couldn't let ourselves get _too_ relaxed, now could we? Lebal grabbed the Chalice in his little hind paws and followed us to the ground floor where we wished all of the people there a good bye. They wished us a safe journey and we began a long line of hugging Nyl and her kids before we left. I noticed Gaia hug Nyl longer than what was probably necessary and she caught my eye over her shoulder.

_'Is he always like this?'_ she seemed to be asking.

I laughed and nodded and she broke the hug. Her family followed us outside and pointed us east, towards where the docks were supposed to be.

"It's 500 Gil a head to get on the boat." Haras informed us.

There was a clinking sound as Sarah checked our stash before saying that we had way more than enough.

"Will we be seeing you again?" Nyl asked me.

"Yes. We will have to pass through on our way back to the city we're caravanning for."

"Ah yes. Alfitaria. Good place. We'll be seeing you then!" She said chipperly, and waved us off.

We smiled, waved back, and turned to go, but not before I ended up getting some sort of cart right in my way and causing me to break it and send vegetables scattering all over the street.

"MY CABBAGES!"

There was a moment of confusion in which my friends and I scrambled for cover from the flailing arms of the wrinkled old man who had appeared out of a side street waving a two by four over his head. He thrashed around repeatedly, trying adamantly to strike me with his weapon the most I noticed. But I dodged his attacks and we ran for it, calling back hasty goodbyes to Nyl and her children who were in hysterics on the wrap-around porch of their inn. We arrived panting and dry-mouthed at the busy docks a moment later, totally out of breath. The old man had chased after us for some time.

There were all kinds of hard at work peoples in this area of town. The wooden slats that hung over the sea were a mass array of folks and it reminded me vaguely of the hallways at my school. I smiled and turned to the others.

"So. Which boat're we gonna take?" I asked them, gesturing widely to the array of ships that I assumed were at our service. They pondered the question for a moment and the guys debated amongst themselves about which one would be likely to get us to Moschet Manor the fastest using complicated terms like "wind trajectory" and such. Us girls simply tuned them out.

* * *

After a bit, we pushed our way through the crowds and came to the strip of landing space where a heavily armored Lilty was bending over the knots that tied his large boat to the dock. On board were several other Lilties. I stepped forward when it straightened itself and looked at us curiously.

"Anything you guys need in particular?" it asked us in a deep velvety voice. A male then I suppose. I nodded.

"We need to get to Moschet Manor as soon as possible please. If you don't mind. Do you know where it is?" I asked, hoping he did and that we wouldn't have to spend the rest of the day looking for someone who did. Luckily the Lilty nodded.

"Sure do. You guys going to fight that mean Boss that recently moved in?"

Our interests piqued, we gathered more closely together. We could get some early information from this Lilty.

"Have you fought him before?" Gaia asked.

"No. But I did pass by the land on my way here. Mean, Ogre looking thing it was too. Great grey mustache and wore a lavishly decorated purple robe with Coeurl fur. This huge pair of horns on its head were all pointy like and such too. Could impale you surely. And he had a _wife_ if you could call it that. She looked like a slug and was all golden. Her hands were these huge pink and white fans and her hair fanned out into these rainbow colored feathers. She had on a crown of somesort with points that resembled her husband's. Does that help your caravan in any way at all?"

I nodded only somewhat, but Gaia put in, "Hardly. Didn't he use any sort of elemental attack?"

The Lilty shrugged. "Didn't wanna provoke him y'know. I'm hardly a warring Lilty. Just a simple fisherman nowadays."

"Oh. Ok then…," and Gaia slunk to the back of us along with Geoff who already looked like he was sulking.

"You want a ride up there?"

"Yes please," I said. "500 Gil a head, right?" The Lilty nodded and I had Sarah hand over the money.

"My name's Akaim by the way. Come along then. OY! LOWER THE BOARD!"

Akaim's sudden yell startled us and we jumped. But assumed that he had to yell to be heard over all the ruckus of the port. A couple of Lilties of considerable stature appeared over the edge of the boat and began pulling on some ropes that lowered a long slab of thick wood. This bridge _thunked_ onto the edge of the dock and Akaim stood back to allow us to get on first.

It was a simple craft really; something its outer appearance had deceived us about previously. On board already were three other Lilties; all male of course. They waited for their captain to come up before drawing up the bridge again. Then Akaim merely snapped his fingers and they scuttled off, disappearing into various trapped doors around us.

There were several of those, and they dotted random intervals along the floor and at either end of the ship, there was a flight of stairs that ran to port and starboard respectively. A large post ran up near the back and had a streaming red flag trailing behind it. I could just make out from behind the back set of steps, a door that I assumed lead to rooms for the crew or whoever. Akaim gestured grandly around as gigantic sails fanned out above us and the boat lurched away from the dock.

Geoff immediately bolted for the rail and proceeded to vomit profusely into the sea.

Akaim was looking just a bit put off by this, and his arms fell limply to his sides. "Umm, your rooms…? This way."

And he indeed took us toward that back door, warning us to duck as we made our way under the stairs, and also saying that the rooms might be a tad small, as they were originally made for Liltian folk, and not Clavats. Luckily though, the halls were, and we made quick progress down the short hall, where three rooms were shown to us. "My room's under the other staircase. Captain's quarters and all that." He told us, shrugging. He looked up at us and saw our fervent expressions. "Something the matter?"

"Well, it's just that…there are nine of us and, well…I know I'm not going to bed with any of _them_." I explained hastily, jerking my thumb back towards the three guys who weren't busy barfing up their stomachs. They glared at me, even Jake and Gaia. Hmph. Whatever.

The door that we had come through opened then, and Geoffrey stumbled in, wobbling dangerously from side-to-side and looking as if he were going to die. He was really green, to say the least. He lurched quickly from wall-to-wall as if the gentle rocking of the ship was sending him into over-drive. He leant against Hanna for support, and she stood strong, despite her obvious want to get away from him lest he decide to empty his stomach on her. The bandit opened his mouth,

"Puh-please just let me su-sleep outside. I duh-don't care if it is outside! I'm gonna die on this boat!"

_This _was going to be an interesting boat ride

* * *

**RAC: **Hey you guys! Sorry the story's been on hiatus for the past couple of weeks. I ran out of backlog and had to scramble. I've got a good 40 pages or so. And guess what! After Moschet Manor, things are going into the final story arc! Plus, I really like this next piece with Hanna being a main character. _smile _But I did make it extra long for my readers! Review? _puppydog eyes_


	89. A Not so Relaxing Cruise

**Nich**: Remember the time Katie came to school wearing one tennis sock and one knee sock with her uniform? And she didn't even realize it.

**Hanna**: Yeah. And the next day all the seventh graders were doing it because they thought she was making some kind of fashion statement.

**Jakob**: Wow! Look at this! You can order an entire hors d'oeuvres party sampler with little baby spring rolls and cut-up vegetables and dip! DIP! It says enough for a party of ten. I'll order two. We're going to need to be well-fed for what we have planned.

**Katie**: Planned? What're you talking about?

**Nich**: Nothing. Hey, Katie, weren't you in the middle of something up there? In your story? Like, shouldn't you be telling what's going on on that "cruise"?

**Katie**: Um, no. What do you have planned? What plan???

**Nich**: explains Are you happy now?

**Hanna**: No. I could get more description from a Do Not Dry Clean label.

**Jakob**: Look! They have bagel dogs too! I love those!

**Katie**: You're not going to tell me your plan, are you? sigh

* * *

I snickered into one hand and Sarah thumped me on the back.

"_Shut up!_" she snapped at me, though I could tell she was hiding a giggle of her own; the corners of her mouth were pulled down too tightly.

There was a moment of discussion between Akaim and Geoffrey during which the rest of us divided up into our normal groups of Gaia, Nich, and Jake, Me, Sarah, and Amy, and Hanna and Momo. We dropped our stuff onto the child-sized beds with relief; they were kind of heavy and all that. But I stared with trepidation at the small cot on which I would be required to sleep. My roommates thought I was trying to make it burst into flames, but I knew Hanna would know my pain, since she was the only other girl taller than me.

**Year 1**

**Entry 22**

**_We've been sailing on the East side of the Jegon River for three days now, and Geoff's not the only one being affected by sea legs. I myself haven't been on a ship in atleast five years and have been sick several times. Hanna's been locked in her room since this morning working on a sea sickness cure. I'm guessing this is an experiment and she doesn't exactly know what she's doing, 'cause I heard an explosion around noon. Akaim wasn't too pleased when the window in that room was blown out…_**

I put the journal back in my backpack and laid back on my cot. I tapped out a little beat with my feet on the ground. I felt like a giant. My stomach gurgled loudly, signaling that I was hungry and should maybe go out on deck and look for the others or something, since I was bored. I reached down and grabbed some Bannock Bread then walked out the door.

The sounds of boiling and hissing could be heard coming from Hanna's room, and a faint trail of smoke was snaking out from underneath the door. I heard the soft cry of what sounded like a dieing animal before I kicked it open, being one for animal rights and all.

Hanna looked up calmly from her perch on the bed, looking even more hilariously out of place in the tiny room than I was. Her glasses were on top of her head and she peered at me like she was blind. Her hair was frizzed from the explosion, and half of her left eyebrow was missing. Her clothes were blackened and she held a glass bowl between her feet, with two cracked open orbs in her hands. They gave off feeble glows and were the source of the smoke that was now filling the hall. I hastily stepped into the room and shut the door behind me.

"Katie…?" Hanna asked cautiously, balancing the orbs on her thigh and pulling her glasses onto her face.

"What the hell are you doing…?" I asked her curiously, walking over to her and sliding my legs beneath her bed.

A wide smile cracked her face, and I was reminded slightly of a mad scientist. Hanna picked up the orbs and proceeded to tip a bit of the blue one and a good dose of the green one into the bigger bowl. I looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "What are those?"

"Magecite. Took a lot of effort to crack them open too. Really stubborn, they are," Hanna told me, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth.

"And…can you do it the wrong way…?" I queried, looking into the swirling mess of colors in her bowl.

"Obviously. What do you think I was doing when the room exploded?!"

"Huh…"

Hanna pulled out a glass stick and stirred her experiment together with an expression of excitement on her face. A delicious aroma was wafting out of the bowl and her eyes lit up. The liquids appeared to be mixing colors and Hanna pulled me close to it.

And then of course, something went wrong.

An explosion of light so bright erupted from the basin in Hanna's lap sent me reeling backwards. I crashed against the floor with a loud _crack_. I was blinded. I knew my eyes were open, but no matter how many times I blinked, all I saw was white. I rubbed at my eyes furiously; still no change. I groped my way from underneath the bed and felt my way towards the door and out of the room.

I made it into the hall and was pulling myself up on the wall opposite the door before my vision started coming back, thank Oprah. I let out a thankful sigh as fuzzy imaged appeared to me. Nobody seemed to have seen or heard anything suspicious, because there was no cavalry running to our rescue. I turned and walked calmly back into the room. Hanna looked at me with the scariest smile I'd yet seen on her face.

And I started howling with laughter.

Her face was totally tanned.

The light was more than likely a huge accumulation of UV rays and being so directly to the source, her normally pale, round face was the color of Nich's Korean skin. It was really amusing. Hanna launched the glass stick at my face before reminding me that I too was likely to be the same color. It was just too bad that most of the time, I was dark-skinned anyway. I walked back to my position on the floor and looked into the bowl that was softly glowing gold.

"Try it!" Hanna chirped happily, pulling out a vial and scooping up some of the sweet-smelling goo.

"But I'm not feeling sick right now…" I said cautiously, pushing away her offer.

She looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at me as if I were an idiot. Or…more of an idiot. Something like that.

"Then who is it that's always sick Katie…?" Hanna asked me, tapping me on the head with the vial.

It took me a moment before remembering that Geoffrey was feeling like shit all the time on this boat; something Gaia and Jake weren't letting him forget. He would be on the deck, so I got up, agreeing to bring our little guinea pig to her. "Oh! And be sure not to tell anybody about this. If he gets worse…" I left the room with her words floating around in my head.

I ducked out the door at the end of the short hall and came onto the deck at dusk. The sun was setting off in the distance, causing the waters to turn into an array of rainbow colors. Beautiful. Everyone was out here though, as I'd thought since I'd not run into anyone on my way out here though.

Akaim and his Lilties and all of my friends minus Geoff – who was hacking up a lung over the railing – and Hanna of course, were gathered around a large table that had been erected in the middle of the deck. There was a lot of shouting and what appeared to be calls of money coming from their group. Cards, maybe.

I slinked over to the sick bandit, feeling only slightly guilty that I might be taking an active part in making him worse. I laid an arm across his shoulders as he pulled himself back on deck and slumped down halfway to the floor. He didn't protest, but only groaned slightly. I sighed.

"Geoff, Hanna's got a cure for your sickness…Do you think your up to it?" I asked him softly, beginning to feel slightly queasy from being so near to a sick person.

That was all the bandit needed to be told. He ran amusingly zig-zaggedly across the boat towards the doors leading to the rooms and disappeared through it. I smirked and followed more subtly behind him. Once I got back there, I closed the door behind me and locked it, just for good measure. When I got to Hanna's room, Geoff was draped across her lap and practically begging for her medicine. Hanna looked pleased that he was so willing and gave him what he wanted.

Geoffrey grasped the small vial in both his hands and chugged it, tipping his head back so's to get every last drop. Hanna took the holder back from him when he gave it to her and we both warily watched him for side-effects.

Miraculously, his complexion was coming back, and he was holding himself better than he had the whole time. He lifted his head up and gave us both big grins. He leapt up in a fit of joy and looked at both of us.

"I'm cured!" he crowed happily, posing like a muscle-man in joy.

Hanna pushed her glasses onto her nose with one of her fingers, her tan barely managing to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Well, of course you are. I found the cure after all." She told him, looking haughty. The bandit threw himself at her before she screeched and tossed him off her. "Watch out!" The tub of medicine was cradled in her arms as if it was an infant. Geoff and I laughed before saying we should go out on deck and maybe join in the revels of the others.

* * *

Before I knew it, four more days had passed, without anyone getting sea sick again. Hanna's medicine worked wonders on everyone, and Akaim eagerly discussed with her the recipe so he could use it for his crew or later passengers. She told him easily. The game the group was playing the other night was Kemps apparently. A really popular game. I questioned the others about it, and they told me that yes, they – being those from my world – were the ones who had caused the game to spread like wildfire across the continent.

"And the bets…?" I had asked.

They were betting on who would be the first to lose their temper and overthrow the table in anger.

That was Geoffrey of course, when we'd gone back out and played with everyone after he'd gotten better.

And when the morning dawned that we were able to see the island on which sat Moschet Manor, we were immediately serious, all traces of humor gone as we readied ourselves for battle.

* * *

**RAC: **Hey everyone! Authoress here, reporting in. I officially got hired! LoL. I'm no longer unemployed. I'm gonna be a waitress at Bob Evans, so wish me luck at my first job! I start next Saturday. _smile _Oh! And I also went with Nich to see Seventeen Again last night. Mostly a waste of money. I wouldn't recommend it. LoL.


	90. Moshet Manor

**Katie: **So what do you think REALLY caused Geoff's seasickness?

**Sarah**: Not me. I think aliens did it. They could totally have used their advanced technologies to get into the body without being seen.

**Jake**: Then why didn't they use their advanced technologies to kill him? Why just make him sick?

**Sarah**: They like to experiment with our ways.

**Katie**: OK, Sarah, but what about this? It says here that police linked cases of murder to an unsolved boat sinking two years before in River Belle Path. One that looks like it was done with the same type of attack, by the same person. And the queen was supposed to be shooting a series on homelessness here in RBP when that murder happened.

**Mackentosh**: Correction. She wasn't just here in RBP when the murder happened. Her wagon was, like, a block away from the murder scene at the time of the attack. She was there, where the murder was going down. And she can't produce any of the negatives of the photos she claimed she was taking.

**Sarah**: That doesn't mean it wasn't aliens.

**Katie: **And this disclaimer isn't making any sense...x-X

* * *

Everyone put on our armor again for the first time in a while and grouped together on the deck, around Sarah who had borrowed a telescope from Akaim and was looking at the island as it appeared to us through the early morning fog.

Nothing seemed to really be happening over there, so we folded up the seeing glass and had Akaim recount his tale of having encountered the demon pair that lived in the mansion on the island. After this, we were pacing around deck in a tense silence as the captain pulled us onto the island. The ship lunged forward, causing us to stumble and fall. The plank was loaded with a soft squishing sound onto the beach below and we all rushed off, along with the Lilties.

"Do you think you'll be safe here while we finish this…guy off?" I asked them, cupping a hand around my eyes so I could look up at the mansion on the hill.

"Well, of course we'll be fine. Just be sure and hurry up, ok?" Akaim replied huffily, seeming offended that I thought that little of them. He drew his battle ax from its holster on his back and gave me an evil glare. I smiled and pat his back.

"Let's go then, you guys…" I said to my group.

Automatically, we got into a good formation and began walking up the path that lead to the demon's house.

* * *

In no time, we came to the front door of the house and it loomed above us with cream stone pillars rising at the corners. The wooden door before us had two great bronze rings set halfway up them and Sarah and I reached cautiously for them before pushing our way into the…

Courtyard.

Before us there was a small amphitheater a couple of steps downward. In each corner on a cracked stone pedestal sat four Gargoyles lying in deceptive wait, counting the moments until we would come close enough for them to attack. Weeds were growing amok in the ground and ivy was steadily climbing up the surrounding walls and pillars that grouped around several large doors all around the area. Upon closer inspection of the closest one to our right, we saw a large button lying in front of the door. It had an inscription of each Clan's insignia – Selkie, Clavat, Yuke, and Lilty – on it. After several failed attempts of opening the door, we figured out that the way to open it was to have a representative of the race who's symbol appeared on the button step on it.

So we threw Gaia onto the Clavatian symbol and with a loud shuddering, the door before us opened and we stepped through, being cautious and having our weapons raised.

It seemed as though we were in the kitchens, for before us was the largest table I had ever seen. The chair legs of stools that dotted the edge alone were a couple of feet taller than I was and I felt immediately dwarfed. At one end of the counter was a set of steps that lead to the top for some reason. Strange…

"_Watch out_!" Morgan suddenly shouted, diving into me and dragging both of us along the ground.

"What the _hell_ Morgan?!" I snapped irritably, pushing her off me in a huff.

"Well, you simply _must_ pardon me for saving your life." Momo snapped at me, gesturing to a large but her knife that was wobbling from its perch in the stone floor where I had been moments before. My eyes widened in shock. Looking around, I saw that the others were searching the room with shadowy eyes, trying to find my assassin.

"It was a Tonberry Chef!" Gaia cried, gesturing to the greenish slug-type creature that came squirming erratically from its hiding spot in a cabinet. It left a trail of snot-colored goo in its wake. The gleaming butcher knife in its hand seemed to indicate that this thing had been the one trying to kill me. It had bulging yellow eyes rotating half out of their sockets and a greasy, dingy chef's coat held tight over its bulging stomach. An orange handkerchief was tied around its neck and a tall, puffy hat sat perched precariously on its head. It brandished its weapon and advanced suddenly on us, giving hardly any warning. We scattered instinctively, but Nich was a second too late from getting Momo away from the danger and received a swift slice across the exposed inch of flesh above his elbow guard. He gnashed his teeth and inhaled sharply, but gave no inclination that the wound was going to be leaving permanent damage. He _did_ however, strike out viciously with his blade and cut the demon cleanly in half. Pyreflies exploded and Nich happily collected the Gil that appeared.

"That was easy," He said, smirking to us as Momo Cured him.

* * *

We had proceeded after that to flush out every Tonberry Chef we could find out of all the rooms, except for the final two. The clockwise-turns we had taken around the courtyard seemed to be working fairly well, and we only activated one of the Gargoyles when I skidded on a rock. Easily taken care of, we opened the pad in front of the next-to-last door and were confronted with something we hadn't expected to find so easily.

The Boss's wife, Maggie.

The elaborately decorated Demon was standing in front of a large mirror and twisting golden decorations into her rainbow hair with her giant fan hands.

"Oh fuck." Geoff whispered.

None of us had a clue as to whether or not we should attack, but our problem was quickly solved when the Demon spoke.

"Where's my dinner? Get back to the kitchen!" she snapped haughtily without turning around.

"Does she think…we're Tonberry Chefs?" I asked.

I assumed that was the case because Maggie gave to indication otherwise and was still staring into the mirror. The dumb broad never turned around! So we took the opportune moment and ravaged the room for treasure of which there was a lot of, and lit out of there before she could have come to her senses.

The last room we came to was a library. We conquered what few Demons there were and decided to take the time and read up on some history while we had the time.

"But don't take _too_ long!" Sarah warned us, tapping her foot impatiently from her guard spot next to the entrance with the bandit. He couldn't read too well he explained.

All around the large expansive room were tons of books, and I felt immediately at home, since I was a real big reader and everything. I climbed up one of the ladders leaning against the far wall and looked on the top shelves. A small dusty book caught my attention and I pulled it off before skidding to the floor again and leaning against a wall. I got as far as 'Soon after the coming of Miasma, terrible Fiends began to appear' when Sarah and Geoff cried for us to run outside to the courtyard.

The Gigas Lord was making his appearance and fast.

He had just thrown open the doors we hadn't seen that were hidden behind an alcove directly across from the main entrance. And he looked pissed. For a while, we stood gathered in a loose knot in the corner we were in while he tossed rocks and bellowed for one of his Chefs to bring him his meal. He didn't notice us for a while, but when he did, he locked eyes with us, and then our swords, and charged.

"_You killed my cooks_!"

"This fat bastard must sure like his food!" Gaia said, smirking and grabbing Sarah by the elbow to lead her away. We broke into groups and let the Gigas Lord collide into the wall behind us. He disappeared into a cloud of billowing smoke and emerged coated in dust and coughing. He raised his large furry gray paws and swiped at the nearest dueling pair of Nich and Momo who quickly separated and slashed at the Boss. He yowled and we all backed up to regroup.

Then the doors to Maggie's boudoir opened up and the Gigas Lord's wife made her appearance, shrieking about how we were trying to kill her husband, which…yeah, I suppose we were trying to do. In a flash, she waved her fans and cast a spell of Slow on us all. And a most curious feeling enveloped us all. It felt like I was moving through thick sludge. It seemed to take forever to turn and run as the Gigas Lord took his time swiping and clawing at us. Maggie stayed back.

Thankfully, the spell wore off before any _serious_ damage could be done, and we decided to create two groups. One would take out Maggie before her Slow spells could keep paralyzing us and giving her husband an advantage. But it turned out that they had another powerful combo up their sleeve. This one was found out when we pretty much got both of their health down halfway.

The Gigas Lord raised both of his arms like a muscle man and startled laughing a deep-throated chuckle that sent shockwaves through the ground and shook us all to the core. And looking behind him, Maggie began glowing and little particles of light floated out of her and into her husband and herself. Then they were back to full-health.

"_Oh come on_!" I snarled, wiping sweat off my brow with the back of my hand. I spit into the ground and renewed my furious attacks without letting up. My strength was waning. The battle was dragging on for too long. I narrowly dodged one of the Gigas Lord's attacks where he slammed both of his hammer-like fists into the ground. Shockwaves tore through the ground creating small fissures that caused many of us less sure-footed folk to stumble and become near-victims to the Boss' attacks.

As focused as I was on destroying the Gigas Lord, it didn't go unnoticed by any of us who had decided to tackle the main foe that the other had just taken down Maggie. We cheered for a second before all tearing furiously into the Lord. Without his wife as backup to constantly heal them both, he was extremely weak. Those particles also offered power-ups it seemed, because the blows he managed to land didn't seem to faze anyone and they quickly recovered and came back to the fight.

I flattened myself to the ground as a meaty fist swiped at the air above my head and ran to back up Nich who was gathering his chi for a mighty Meteor Blast. We all had rather terrifying memories of this move, and quickly slipped on Crystal Rings so we could pelt across the lawn to get out of Nich's range of fire. If course, the unpredictable power of such an attack cannot be measured or timed. So it went off before the aftershock could slam into our backs and kick us all the way across the yard and into the opposite wall with sickening _crunches_. I remember pain, and not much else after that.

* * *

**RAC: **Hey people! Sorry for not updating for the past coupla weeks. I've run out of backlog and I have to work. It's so hard! Well, I'm trying a lot for you guys, so please R&R!


	91. A Long Journey Home

**Sarah**: Ahem. This article in _Weekly World News_ proves it.

**Jake**: Let me guess. The kidney was taken by the aliens.

**Sarah**: Aliens happen to think the human kidney is the seat of the soul.

**Jake**: And you know that from your long discussions with aliens?

**Sarah**: You're just jealous because this proves I am right and have been right all along. Admit it!

**Katie**: Sarah, menacing Jake with your finger does not make you look distinguished. Thank you for bringing that very interesting article to my attention. Now-

**Sarah**: You should really read it, Katie. Look, they have proof, too. They found a weird footprint by the side of the dock after we got on board. See? In the photo? Does that look like a normal footprint to you?

**Katie**: Um, no. But how do we know that photo was really taken outside that window and not outside a building with a sign saying _Weekly World News Headquarters_?

* * *

The walls were spinning. It seemed as if I was buried alive. And I seemingly was. When I opened my eyes and opened my mouth to breathe, I only got a lung full of chalky dust and small rock. However, I could still see sun shining a short distance above me and I knew I couldn't have been out for long. I clawed my way to the surface in time to see the others doing much of the same. And they were all wearing masks of anger. Directed at Nich of course. The man in question was cowering behind his shorter counterpart with fear. Momo was standing strong for her man, but I knew she wouldn't be able to withstand the verbal onslaught I could tell Sarah was planning for her. I turned my back on such a violent scene and helped Hanna out of the rubble so she could heal us.

By the time all our injuries were Cured, we went off in search of the Myrrh Tree that tha Gigas Lord was sure to have been guarding. Or would have atleast kept close by. So we marched into his rooms, went through the beautifully decorated back garden, and saw the wondrous tree.

The Myrrh Tree symbolized all that we of the caravan Tsiknus stood for. Purity, pride, majesty, and whatever other noble words you can think of. It shimmered brilliantly when Lebal handed me the Chalice. As leader of this group, I carried the Myrrh holder in front of me and advanced on the Tree slowly, knowing this was a sacred ritual. I placed the Chalice on the tiny stone table beneath the gathered limbs and stepped back as a tiny drop of Myrrh fell off them and plopped onto the crystal at the top of our Chalice. Sparkles erupted out of it and then it calmed down again and the Myrrh Tree faded. We gathered everything together and headed back towards the shore to get onto the ship that would surely take us home.

"Et wot abowt Reum?" Lebal asked loudly, flapping his wings at us.

"I think he'll be able to find us," I said with a sly grin, and took off towards the beaches, a giant grin painting my face.

* * *

**Year One**

**Entry 23**

**_We're done! We're finally done! We've gathered our first Chalice of Myrrh and are now on our way back to Alfitaria to give them what we have. A giant party is going to be held in our honor and I'm so excited. The battle with the Gigas Lord gave us a little bit of trouble thanks to his wife, Maggie, who kept healing him every so often, but we dealt with him easily enough. No thanks to Nich who tried killing us all…_**

* * *

It took six months for us to get back to the Liltian city. Six months full of late-night traveling and no-eating days. It only didn't take us a year because we had already defeated the Fiends in the surrounding lands and they hadn't yet had the time to propagate again. I hoped they never would. They were hard enough the first time around.

It was early morning, two or three hours before dawn, when we came to a familiar sight: the Old Forest that lay on the outskirts of Alfitaria. In the time that we had been gone – which was about a year and a half – saplings had been replanted on the ashes of the remains and they had taken good hold in the soil. Tiny leaves were sprouting.

We walked on, coming soon to the back gates. I had personally been hoping to slip in unannounced until morning came so no disturbances would be made to disturb those folk who might be trying to get some rest for a party that I _also_ hoped would be happening later that night. But neither of my wishes were to be granted because the guards had been notified that we were on our return journey and to be on the look out. So as soon as they successfully identified us, they rang the bells and yelled to the rooftops that the Caravan Tsiknus was home.

"Oh, dammit. I hate big attractions like this…!" Geoffrey moaned into the palm that he was grinding into his tired eyes. Jakob and Gaia however, appeared to be feeding off the attention. I took note on how they had been taking particular care of themselves these past few months and looked impeccable today. While the guards worked on opening the doors to the city, I braced myself for a few people to be standing inside the walls and smiling happily at us. Yet, I didn't get this wish granted either.

Instead, it appeared that _the entire city_ had been lying in wait for our return, because an uproarious yell rose from the crowds of people and hit me full-on in the face like a slap. It was _way_ too early for this. But I couldn't let the people tell that I was about to fall asleep where I stood. Instead, I raised the Chalice high above my head so that they may see the contents glistening inside. More shouts. I beamed for their benefit and marched through the masses, pushing Jakob to the front so he could show me the way to Margaret's inn. He obliged, waving grandly to the citizens and grasping their hands as we passed by. Some swooned like fangirls and I felt real laughter stirring inside me. It felt nice and woke me up.

By the time we got to Margaret's inn, we were all totally energized and amped up for the inevitable party. With difficulty, Jakob's aunt slammed the door in the faces of our fans and leaned against it, wiping her brow. The prince embraced her and she laughed, pushing him away. Then she stepped back and appraised us all. A happy gleam shone in her eye and I knew she immediately forgave us for our hasty getaway so long ago. I ran forward and grasped the Clavatian woman in a hug so fierce I thought I might break her. She seemed to have gotten smaller.

"I missed you Margaret!" I told her, wiping a tear that had pooled in the corner of my eye. Margaret laughed and patted my shoulder tenderly.

"I missed you all. I'm so happy you've made it home safe and sound. This will be a joyous celebration indeed."

I nodded.

"Alfitaria hasn't had a caravan in over 120 years. I kind of fear that it won't know quite how to celebrate such a party…But it'll handle itself well enough. However, I have you all at my mercy, and _this_ time you won't go burning down any forests or getting lost in underground bunkers…" the tone in Margaret's voice had a menacing tint and I gulped, suddenly wishing that one of those aforementioned things _would_ happen to us again, just so I could get out of whatever kind of torture she surely had planned for us.

"Well, Auntie, it is still really early in the morning. Is there any way we could maybe go drop our stuff in the old rooms?" Jake asked, heaving a weighty bag higher onto his shoulder. The others were already inching hopefully towards the familiar territory, but Margaret halted them with a cry.

"You can't go up there yet! There are preparations going on on all the other floors. And besides, you're going to be a helluva lot more busy down here with me and my…new helpers…"

"Umm…you hired _more_ help?" Sarah asked the hostess, kind of remembering the psychotic previous one that had wanted us all dead.

"Yeah, just for the day though. And it cost me a lot of Gil too, so you had all better stay here and make it worth my while. Just give your stuff to them and they'll take it up your rooms."

And Selkies appeared out of doors lining the walls of the inn and bustled forward, their barely-covered large chests bouncing perkily. I crossed my arms over my rather smaller breasts self-consciously and Amy jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow. However unwillingly, we stripped off our armor and packs and weapons and gave them to the willing help who gave us all dazzling smiles and tossed their shining silky hair before prancing up the stairs and out of sight. Gaia wiped drool off his chin. Now we were all standing there in our filthy underclothes being appraised by Margaret who was tutting her tongue disapprovingly.

"Such long hair…and so dirty…" she was mumbling. I gulped. "Take it off."

"Umm…what?" I said, my eyes bugging. I gripped the backs of my arms even tighter now and could feel a heated flush creeping its way up my neck and cheeks.

"I said you'll have to take off your clothes. The rest of them anyway. They'll ned scrubbing and I'll send a pair of workers to go off and buy you some clean outfits. Until then, you'll have to strip. That ok?"

I couldn't form any actual words, so Sarah did.

"No fucking way! I'm not getting naked in front of these…boys!"

Nich, Gaia, Jakob, and Geoffrey all whipped their heads to look at her after she'd said this, and as if for the first time, instead of taking her words as an insult, looked her up and down like the shapely young woman she was. Sarah turned crimson and joined me in silent torture.

"You all have traveled together for a long while now. Are you saying you haven't seen each other naked yet?" Margaret asked incredulously. I shook my head and she laughed. "Ahh, such innocence. It is rather endearing my love. Fine then. We'll split you up. You girls come with me into one room and you boys…"

"—will follow the Selkies into another room?" Gaia asked hopefully, eyeing the people in question as they made their way back down the stairs. Margaret shot down his request and gestured towards a line-up of strikingly attractive male Selkies that came out of a different door. They all had a rather…flamboyant air about them. Gaia's face visibly fell. I couldn't help but laugh and see how Sarah's face brightened.

"Now come along. I can tell we have some work on our hands, don't you think so dears?" Margaret asked of her Selkie workers who nodded that they did, inspecting our grimy hair and split ends with disdain. I pulled my grown-out hair over my shoulder and stroked it, afraid for its safety as we were hustled into another room with the other women. "Do you think you can take off your own clothes?" the hostess asked us.


	92. Beauty Regime

**Sarah**: Fine. If you want to be one of those people who think aliens only attack in the movies, go right ahead. But don't you come crying to me when they knock on your door and you don't know the proper way to greet them to avoid having your brain slurped out through your nostrils. It happened five times last year in RBP alone.

**Katie**: You made that up.

**Sarah**: Did I? Can you be sure? _slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp_

* * *

"I do think so, thank you very much!" Sarah said airily and began taking off her clothes. Following her lead, we all did the same and were afterwards standing in our underwear and not making eye-contact with anyone.

"Time to split you all up, I think…" Margaret murmured. She tapped her chin thoughtfully and counted us, coming to a total of five. She had six Selkie women at her disposal and smiled happily, "after a bath of course."

Our shoulders slumped with the breath of air that we released. Margaret, however, wasn't going to make this easy on any of us, and said to wait where we were while she went to get some _supplies_. What kind of supplies do you need for a freakin' bath anyway? Nonetheless, I knew the pain I would undoubtedly suffer if I left the room, and stood with my friends while we waited for Jakob's aunt to return. And return she did, with several large basins balanced precariously in her arms. She unloaded one of each into the arms of a Selkie woman who apparently knew what they were supposed to be doing, and guided us out the door, across the main floor, through another door, down another hall, and onto the deck that reached out towards the bathing pool. Hot steam blasted me in the face, and the prospect of a hot bath was welcoming. I was reaching up to unhitch my bra when I felt cold, soft hands already there undoing it _for _me. I shrieked.

_"What do you think you're doing?!" _I asked the woman who had been assigned to me. She had long silver hair with bangs that swept low over her left eye, both of which were an ocean-y blue. Her short, one-sided, pleated tan skirt covered curvy hips, and a furry white top held up her massive cleavage which I thought might eat me alive if I got too close. Her ears were pierced too. A look of pure innocence was on her face.

"I…I told to…you clean…?" she offered me helplessly, clearly almost one hundred percent inept at speaking the same language as me. I sighed. This was going to be difficult.

"How about…I clean myself? And you…," here I pointed at her, "just hand me the soaps or whatever it is you say I need? Do you…understand?" she said yes and I thanked Oprah for the common word in every realm. We proceeded to the edge of the bath where the other girls were already lounging in the steaming water an enjoying the primping their Selkie woman was giving them. I shed the rest of my clothes and slipped into the water up to my neck. Instantly, I brownish sort of tint took to the water surrounding me.

"Is dirt…?" my Selkie said helpfully. I blushed, embarrassed at my total lack of hygiene.

"Yes. _Is dirt_." I said through gritted teeth, splashing the murky water away. "Now hand me some freakin' soap or somethin' why don'cha?"

The Selkie complied and started unloading the tub beside her. Twelve bottles total, along with three bars of soap…or I _thought _it was soap. The bars were all kind of _neon_. And I had always been told that weirdly colored things were poisonous…

I was right.

Well, in a sense. The cleansers weren't something I was allergic to by any means, but they certainly did their job. My Selkie had rather unsuccessfully managed to warn me before I started using all the shampoos at once that I shouldn't do that. And of course, I found that they started searing my scalp. Screams were heard all over town as I dove beneath the water and scrubbed furiously at the painful suds all over my head.

After this, I addressed my helper just as 'Selkie' however rude or racist it might have been. The soaps were rather calm and scented however, and soothed my pains. They were lovely compared to the acidic shampoos. But my hair was all intact and now I was sitting with Selkie in a room, waiting for Margaret to come see me. I was wrapped in only a towel as now my undergarments had too been taken. One was wrapped around my waist and the other around my chest like a dress. My hair hung limp and wet, fizzing in my face, and still I tapped my foot while waiting for Jakob's aunt to come get me.

When the door indeed opened, I sat up straight and smiled. Were my clothes done?! Margaret, however, was advancing slowly on me with a measuring tape in hand. I shivered as she got closer.

"Come along Kaitlyn dear. I need to make sure you haven't gained any…unsightly weight in the past couple of months."

"Do you have my clothes?" I asked her hopefully.

"Sadly, no. All of it was horribly beyond repair. So I had them burnt," my mouth dropped open, "but it's no big deal. Your new ones are lying upstairs, along with your friends."

"Say what?" it sounded to me like she'd had my friends killed or something. Definitely a weird statement. I allowed Margaret to lead me from the room, Selkie trailing behind us with quiet subservience quite contradictory to the Selkie nature. In this new room were a bunch of mirrors, weird-looking accessories, and…some old-fashioned make-up. I felt a lump rise in my throat. "You're…not going to be done for a while now, are you?"

My only response was a smirk. Jake's aunt snapped her fingers and the line of Selkie men strutted into the room. I took note that their hair was all amazingly well put up. Were they going to put me through hell? I wrung my hair nervously between my hands in anticipation.

"No worries…we make your hair…pretty…?" one of the guys said, ending his statement like a question. Damn language barrier. Why couldn't Margaret have gotten some help that actually spoke our language? This blond Selkie took Margaret's place and steered me towards a bank of mirrors and a comfortable chair. He turned to Selkie and the rest of the men. "Let's get started…is lots of work here."

It felt like I had gotten Botoxed. The skin leading from my face to my scalp was pulled so tightly back that I felt it was going to rip in a second. I grimaced painfully up at the Selkies in front of me. Halfway through the 'surgery', they had turned me away from the mirrors – something I was used to, really. I noticed that they all looked rather pleased with themselves.

Cold creams and powders were patted onto my face and neck, and it had taken the whole team of Selkie men to tame my massively poofy mane. After my hair gets wet, it generally develops a mind of its own and tries eating my head. Kind of like a Gremlin. Combs and brushes were yanked through it a lot, and then came the gel-like substance and tight little rollers were adhered to my skull for a while before being removed and delicately brushed and polished with a spray. The men had left after this, to give the women their chance to hurt my face. These were the Selkies standing in front of me now.

"Does it…look okay?" I asked tightly, reaching up a hand towards my face. It got slapped down by Selkie who told me brokenly that I couldn't touch myself for fear of smudging my make-up or mussing my hair. I scowled and crossed my arms over my toweled body. Shouldn't I have gotten dressed _first_?

I was left sitting there with my panel of smirking admirers when Margaret made her appearance with the measuring tape again. Wordlessly, she yanked off both my towels and threw them to the floor.

"EEEEK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" I shrieked, hastily covering myself and trying to pull a towel to myself with a foot.

"Oh, hush child. You haven't got anything I haven't already seen." She said snappishly, grabbing me by the shoulder. She commanded me to stand still with my hands by my sides, which I did grudgingly and bright-red. I couldn't help but realize that the Selkies were all giggling behind their hands at my smaller-than-their chest. The room seemed to have gotten slighter. Margaret pulled the measure to my breasts and measured them. A small frown appeared on her face. "Damn. You've grown I believe Katie."

"Really?!" I said without thinking, smiling happily.

The inn keeper laughed. "Yes, and that makes the bust of your dress a bit tighter than it should be, but hey, guys like a good show. And I know of one guy in particular…"

Her insinuation made my face flush again and I looked back down at my toes while the room erupted into laughter.

"Can I get dressed now? What time is it? I'm hungry…!" I wailed embarrassedly.

"Shut up Katie!" Margaret snapped, but still smiling. She wiped a tear from her eye. "You can go get something to eat, but you'll dine alone. I want everyone to be surprised when they see each other. Oh, and as for what time it is…I'd say about mid-morning. So I'll come fetch you after you've had your meal. I still have a couple of final adjustments that need to be made to your outfit." And after this, she left me. I covered myself again with the towels and asked Selkie,

"So…take me to the kitchen?"

"Sure…Uh, first…I go check and make sure…no on is there, yes?"

I sighed. "Whatever. Hurry back, ok?"

Selkie said yes and departed with her busty friends. I was left in the room alone, half-tempted to turn and look in the mirror, but knowing the feel of Margaret's fists well. I faced the door impatiently and grunted, thinking about nothing in particular. I walked to the door and called out to whoever,

"Anyone know what the date is?"

I got an answering reply, as if from far away, "Juin seventh!"

I closed the door and slid to the ground, my mind a blank. I was only a couple of hours away from turning sixteen!!! And then…there was a faint memory. Of something someone had promised me a while ago. I couldn't put my finger on just what it was, but I knew it was important. I pushed the thought from my mind as Selkie came back and said all was clear. The promise of food sounded great.

I was lead to the kitchens through a back door, avoiding the main floor I had been noticing, and sat on a table while Selkie brought me nothing more than a sandwich and some Rainbow Grapes. A virtual feast for me, who hadn't had anything sustaining to eat in a while. I wolfed it down hungrily and was licking my fingers when Margaret came into the kitchens through the swinging door leading to the central room.

"You still look lovely, Katie. How wonderful. Now…if you'd like to come this way?"

I hopped off my chair and walked towards Jake's aunt. She reached up and covered my eyes. I didn't question her motives as she lead me through the swinging door and across the foyer to another room. She put her lips close to my ear and whispered softly, "Do you want to see your dress now?"

* * *

**RAC:** Hello everyone! Back once again. I updated regularlyyyy~! _smile _But hey! Guess what! I'm gonna be 17 in two days! So yea! It's my birthday. Review for me! Pleeeease!


	93. Finally Remember

**Sarah**: Probably aliens.

**Nich**: Funny. That's exactly what I was thinking.

**Sarah**: Oh ha ha. Let it be known that while you two were riding on the Scoff Express, I was eating the last of the cookies. That's right. Who is laughing now?

**Nich**: You mean the cookies that fell on the floor?

**Sarah**: I hear nothing.

* * *

For some reason, shivers shot up and down my spine, and it wasn't out of fear. It was anticipation. Of what the dress was going to look like, and what I was going to look like _in _it. Maybe it was the fact I was almost _sixteen _that these terrifying self-absorbed thoughts were leaking into my brain. I shook my head yes shakily, and Margaret removed her hands from my eyes, and my mouth dropped open. The dress was simply stunning, and my words can do it no such justice. It was hard for me to keep the drool from slipping over my chin in awe. I stumbled forward and fingered the delicate material between my fingers. I could tell it was going to be tight-fitting, showing off my curves, if I indeed had any, because as far as I knew, I had about as much sex appeal as a rock…and a dead one at that.

It was charcoal-black with a slit that went up mid-thigh on the left side. The halter ties were wide and went into a v-neck dive to be joined with a strip that ran all the way around the bust area to the back. Both straps were heavily coated in a shimmery kind of stone and the areas above the bust strap were coated as well, but with fewer straps. And from the waist at an angle towards and along the slit were more stones. Sitting on the ground next to my dress was a pair of shoes unlike any I had seen in my world. They were heels however, and made me nervous, but they were as equally gorgeous as my gown. Sold black, with crisscrossed straps over the toes and a strap that would go over my heel. A little bow sat on top of the middle of this back strap and out of it wrapped an intricate lacy-looking design that cried black stones on loops of black rock. Flawless.

I turned to look at Margaret and felt tears pooling in my eyes. A smile played on the edges of he older woman's lips. She opened her arms and I ran into them gladly, sobbing and hugging her tightly. She laughed and patted my head. I looked up at her and sniffled.

"Now let's get you fixed up again."

* * *

And so I endured a couple more hours of torture in that room with the mirrors, forbidden from seeing myself or my companions, all the while playing with the fantasy that Margaret had them locked up in a closet somewhere. I debated this with myself all the while I was getting my face caked in make-up by the disapproving Selkie women who had clucked their tongues at me upon my return. I flipped them off, but they didn't seem to quite understand this offensive gesture. And when I thought about it, neither did I. Another question to ponder in that stupid chair. Eventually, it did end however, and I was released.

"Maaargareeet!!" I cried out the door. I was getting kinda irritated about having been wearing just towels for several hours, and wanted to slip into my dress. "Gimme my clothes!"

The bust of the woman I was calling for filled my vision and I backed up to allow her in. She was dragging the mannequin on which my garb hung and was carrying the shoes on one of her fingers.

"Owah zuhwai!"

Margaret kicked the door closed behind her and set the fake person upright. It was just as tall as I was. I smiled widely.

"May I…?"

Her nod of approval made me extremely happy. I stripped right where I was, not even caring that the beautiful Selkie women were smirking at my behavior, and began delicately untying the ties that held the back of th dress closed. It slipped off easily after that, and I held it in my arms, marveling at it.

"It go on…over your head," Selkie said 'helpfully' from the counter on which she sat. I snapped an insult back at her, but stepped into it nonetheless. I held it up while Selkie came forward and tightened the straps on my back. It was indeed a little tight around my chest, but the extra pressure pushed them up and out, amplifying their curves. I found myself smiling at them, then laughing at that thought. I tied the halter tie myself and balanced on Margaret's shoulder as Selkie slipped the shoes onto my feet. Instantly, I was hovering around six feet.

"Oh…!" Margaret's eyes pooled up with tears and she covered half her face with her hands to hide the flush there. Her hands trembled and she gazed at me adoringly. Did I really look that stupid?

"Do I…look ok?" I asked worriedly, chewing on my lip; a nervous habit I had.

"No…you…you look flawless…So beautiful…" was her reply and a haze of red lowered over my eyes out of embarrassment.

"You don't have to lie to me, y'know. None of my friends are gonna hold back their insults." I told her.

"It's not that…you're going to knock them dead, Katie…" and then, as an afterthought I didn't think I was supposed to hear, "…Jake won't know what hit him."

"Is it time to go yet?"

"Hmm…" she tapped her chin thoughtfully with a finger. "Yes, I believe it is. But you just stay here. I'm going to go get everyone in the main room, all right?"

I was going to interrupt her and say that I could easily come with her, but she had already bustled out the door and I was left with my chipper friend, Selkie who was smiling widely up at me as if she had never seen a giant before.

"W-what?" I stuttered, backing away from her.

"Nothing…I just thinking…you could easy be Selkie woman, Katie...You so pretty!"

The compliment kind of made me wonder what exactly I looked like. I debated turning to look in the mirrors, but decided against it and just waited for Margaret to fetch me and bring me to my friends, which she did.

She poked her head into the room and beamed at me.

"Come along then. Everyone's waiting for you."

I gulped back a lump in my throat and pushed open the door, unsure of what I was going to find on the other side.

And what I _did _see was a group of startling attractive people gathered around a large table sipping drinks out of wooden goblets. Their heads all swiveled in my direction and as one, all their jaws dropped. Eyes bugged and fingers raised to point at me. Whispers raced around the counter and glances were exchanged. I fidgeted with my fingers nervously.

"H-hi?"

A curvaceous blonde leapt up from the table and pelted herself at me, wrapping me in a tight embrace so fierce I thought my ribs might break. I didn't recognize her at first. She gazed up at me and smiled widely. Her dazzling blue eyes told me that I was looking at Amy. It was then _my _turn to drop my jaw open.

"AMY?!"

"Yeah!" She giggled, tossing her golden locks over a shoulder carelessly. I got a waft of vanilla perfume. "Who'd you _think _you were looking at Stupid?"

"Umm…Carrie Underwood?" I replied idiotically.

Indeed, the misconception was hardly one undeserved of my superbly sexy friends, as they all resembled some sort of movie star in their own right. The girl I held in my arms was wearing a peach and orange – her favorite color – dress that hugged her chest with a halter tie and small hole where said tie joined the main fabric which showed the curved lines of her breasts. Orange strips ran across the top of the dress and on the second layer of gauzy material that peeped from underneath the peach one. The whole thing was sort of ruffling around her knees, being longer in the front and back and shorter on the sides. Her blonde hair had been cut short and kind of flipped out on one side and waved then curled in on the other. Star earrings dangled from her lobes. A pair of crystal-studded shoes was on her feet with many straps crossing over her toes, leaving the rest bare.

Amy was laughing as she pulled me toward the others who were gawking at me in wonder. An unidentifiable Sarah grasped my hand and said some words I couldn't understand because all I heard was a lot of rushing wind in my ears. I couldn't _possibly _know all these gorgeous people, could I?

Sarah's hair had been tamed from its usual curly state to soft waves. Her dress was a shimmery silver color that had a slit halfway down her navel and showed a chest I didn't know she had. It hung down to her feet and in the back, was held up by several interlocking thin strips of silver. It was cut almost down to her butt. Some white heels with an intricate design of belts crossing over everywhere were on her feet.

I turned my head around to look at Hanna who was taller than me even and slimmer than I remembered, in a kiss-me-pink gown with a plunging neckline ruled with wide glittering gold bars. Having the largest set of breasts I had ever seen on a human, it suited her well. Her reddish-orange hair was pulled back from her soft face and when she turned to speak with Amy, I saw an elaborate set-up of curls twined with fair flowers. Her golden heels wrapped around her ankles and over her toes at several points. Large hoops adorned her ears.

Little Mo danced forward on her tiny little feet to tell me how pretty I looked and how everyone had been waiting for me for a while. And that the ceremony was about to start and we were expected at the town square at any moment.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. So out-of-character in a scarlet outfit that it suited her perfectly. Being the least-endowed of us all, I was quite surprised to see that she filled out the dress perfectly fine. Her neckline went the lowest, showing her bellybutton. A little strap went across the gap over her breasts. Drops of silver flecked the area above the tie and spread out towards a broach placed on the front top of her thigh. The fabric tightened here and spread to the back. A large split opened just below it to reveal a taught, tanned leg, firm from her years of running track and cross country at the school with her Asian boyfriend and flared to the ground. Silver sandals had three straps spread evenly over her feet. Her bangs had been left straight, but the rest insanely curled so that it looked like she'd gotten a perm. Half had then been pulled back into a…_something_. I couldn't quite tell how it had been made to stay up, but it was stunning nonetheless.

The guys were even better.

When I saw Gaia chatting animatedly with Sarah's _chest_ I thought that Gaia could easily walk around in a tuxedo and pull it off as if it were an everyday thing. He kind of reminded me of Brad Pitt with his thick blonde hair gelled back and cut immaculately at his shoulders. His square jaw and piercing blue eyes were focused all on Sarah right now though. His black tux jacket highlighted his broad shoulders and had coattails in the back. A white kerchief was tucked into his breast pocket. Underneath the coat was a starched white dress shirt and white tie. The pants held in the dip of his waist and had a couple of pleats in them before flaring out at the bottom.

And _Geoffrey_! I had never seen him look so…_clean_. They had cut his hair off though. A good chunk of it was gone, but it was still long enough to pull into a four-inch ponytail at the base of his neck. Layers had been added so that a few pieces hung over each ear and flared out. His bangs swooshed over one eye and shadowed them attractively. He had a longer coat than Gaia's; it ended a couple inches past his hips. Under this was a white shirt and black tie over which a shimmery-grey vest was buttoned. He kept trying to catch my eye, but then I saw Jakob.

And my heart skipped a beat.

For the first time in my life, my heart was _throbbing _over a boy. Or…man, I suppose. The prince was four years older than me, and must've been about twenty or so. The thought sent a delicious shiver down my spine. Jakob looked the most changed. His long black hair had been cut the way a normal guy's would be, but with choppy cuts made here and there. He'd kept the emo-bangs I could tell, but they were gelled up at an angle so that I could see both of his eyes at once. He gave me a knowing crooked smile and my heart missed another beat. His black coat was buttoned over a silky red vest, glaringly white shirt, and a red-and-black-diagonally-striped tie. A piece of red cloth was in his breast pocket.

_'Oh be still, my racing heart!' _I thought to myself, cupping a hand over my chest.

"—and then Katie's going to have to get onstage and read from the journal she should have been keeping for a while now--," I heard Margaret speaking here and stopped her with wide shakes of my arms.

"Woah, woah, woah! What's this about me getting _onstage _and speaking in public?"

"What? Don't you remember my letter, Katie? I told you a while ago that you'd have to read from the journal I sent you. Just a couple of passages; not the whole thing of course." She told me calmly.

"But I suck at public speaking!" I whined.

"Well, no one but you can read it. Unless someone else here wishes to volunteer and take your place…?"

I recalled what I had written in the book, and vigorously shook my head otherwise. "No, no…I'll do it I suppose…'Though if I pass out, I blame you."

Margaret laughed. "Fine, fine. Now, if you'll just give me a moment to get myself dolled up, I'll take you to the town square for the ceremony, all right?" Margaret announced.

We nodded, pleased to let her go and keep ourselves out of the spotlight as long as possible, myself most of all. My head swam with the thought of standing in front of the whole huge town and reading from that damn book.

"You might wanna go get it then, Kate." Amy said, pushing me towards the stairs.

I blindly made my way up towards our old room, going mostly on memory since none of the candles or lanterns had been lit up here. Margaret must've known we'd choose the same rooms we'd had as last time, because the one at the end of the hall on the third floor was unlocked and I could make out the shadowy forms of our armor sitting in a corner. I fumbled in the dark for my bag and pulled out the book before going back downstairs. Margaret was already done and looking as good as a woman pushing sixty could be. My friends smiled up at me and the book sympathetically.

Those who'd known me since seventh grade remembered the time we'd had to get up in front of the class and give a speech about what kind of job we wanted when we got older and I'd straight-up fainted. Worst day of my _life_. And I had a feeling that that same thing might happen tonight. I gripped the tome tighter to myself as Margaret gathered us all near the front door.

"Now, I'm warning you…It's going to be a _loud, long, _night. You won't be back here for many hours, and you'll be moving and speaking for an extended period of time. I do not suggest complaining that your feet hurt or anything, because once the crowds get a hold of you, there won't be any sort of escape for you. Do you all understand?" She gave us all a stern look; me in particular which kind of gave me a hint that I had been the most to complain that day during the primping hours. However, I think we _all_ recalled the time when we'd been chased by rabid fanboys and fangirls when we'd come out of the town hall with the Chalice for the first time. Speaking of which…

"We forgot the Chalice!!" I shrieked. And without really thinking, I threw the book at the nearest person and bolted up the stairs to our rooms. I kicked open the door, nearly wedging my heel into the wood, and snatched the Chalice from the top of a set of drawers. I nearly stumbled and tore my dress on the way back down the staircase. I swept a lock of hair out of my eyes, composed myself and strode up to my caravan. "Good thing I got this before we left, huh?"

They all slapped themselves.

"Whaa-aat?" I asked.

"Nothing. Let's just do this." Hanna said.

Margaret then opened the doors for us and lead the way into a screaming, swarming mass of people. However, before I could join them, an arm looped around my waist and a pair of lips was brushing softly against my ear. "I hope you have not forgotten my promise, Katie…!" It was Jakob. And at his words, the freight-train of a memory of that night by the fire came back to me and I remembered what I was supposed to have remembered:

The prince had promised to take my virginity on the eve that I turn sixteen.

* * *

**RAC: **Hello again everyone! It's Katie, the authoress. _smile _I FINISHED THE STORY!!!! LoL. Not this chapter, but I was on a wild writing spree and wrapped up the whole thing. So no more short chapters. It'll be finished in a while though, all right? It's rather lengthy. Sorry about that. I hope you'll stick with me until the end!


	94. Sex or Love

**Amy**: Oh, I'm sorry. Did you say "willingly"? As in, adverb, English, meaning "to do something in an agreeable manner"? I have let you slide on a lot of things, Katie, but I'm not going to let you lie about this. The whole sleeping thing.

**Katie**: What? I totally did! I really wanted to!

**Amy**: My recollection is that you got totally wasted beforehand.

**Sarah**: You're forgetting the part where Katie leaped backwards and tangoed a little with the wastebasket.

**Amy**: Quite right. Thank you, Sarah.

**Katie**: Yeah, thanks Sarah. The atmosphere is quite thin over there on Planet Hanna and Sarah, isn't it? Is that why you two are so delusional? And are making up a whole load of _**shit**_?

* * *

And here I'd thought that _public speaking _was going to be the scariest thing I had to do tonight! Now I had whole _other _problem to think about. Was I really going to go along with Jake's promise to take me? He sure was looking amazing tonight, but I didn't really know if I was ready. And there was still Geoffrey…I knew there was something between us, but the two were totally polar opposites and had so many good things about them that I found attractive…

"Come on Katie! We're going to lose you--!" Amy's voice broke through my reverie. I shook my head clear and saw already that my friends had gone deep into the throngs of the crowds of people that were milling through the streets in elaborate get-ups and hairstyles. Many started clapping and whistling while I rushed out the door with the Chalice in my hands. I caught up to Amy easily enough and we otherwise kept close together. All around me, I could see stands and stalls with sales and flags or banners waving high above. Balloons were bobbing through the crowds and everywhere you turned there was something new to see, smell, or feel. A regular carnival.

"Where are the elephant ears?" I asked jokingly. Amy laughed. Then I remembered. "Hey. Where's the journal?" I had to yell to be heard over the noise of the horde of bodies. Amy wordlessly pointed to Jake's back and I squeezed through some folks to get to him. I tapped him on the shoulder, noticing how he seemed to have grown since I last touched him. He turned to look at me and a broad smile alighted his features.

"Is this not great, Katie?" Jakob yell-asked me, falling into step beside me. We matched our strides and I saw he had my journal swinging along in one of his arms.

"You really like these kinds of things don't you?" I said, waving at a throng of people calling out to me.

"Yes! I absolutely adore these things. There are so many things to do here…so many memories to be made…" I glanced down to see an arm slinking toward my waist, but then two people stumbled into me and the spell was broken. I glared over my shoulder to see who'd hit me, only to find Amy and Geoffrey untangling their standing limbs from each other.

"Oops! Sorry Kate! These damn heels!" Amy said, pointing to her feet. Maybe cobblestones and high heels weren't supposed to mix. Knowing my clumsiness, I just knew I was going to fall down at some point during the night. I was _so _looking forward to it. I saw how Amy's eyes darted towards Jakob as we walked together, and how Geoffrey gave Amy a short thumbs up before blushing and looking away. So it was a plan? Well…I couldn't really blame them from trying to stop the moment. I knew Amy still liked Prince Jakob, and that was part of my reason for hesitating. Also, having the two scheming to keep us apart would pretty much make my decision about sleeping with him for me. I ignored them for the time being.

We couldn't see through the crowds easily, even with our height advantage, but we knew we were getting close because it was getting harder and harder to move for the thickness of the crowds. Also, there was the looming Crystal that I once again realized didn't have much power in it. It was kind of flickering on and off. Roland found us soon after this, all dressed up in his best attire.

"Hey Caravan Tsiknus!" he shouted, waving widely with his broad hands at us. He stumbled through the people and smiled up at me, his crossed eyes telling me that he was drunk out of his mind. At least he wasn't slurring his words or anything yet. Or trying to come on to me. His shout drew more attention to us than we'd been getting before – either because we looked like a walking sex ad or for recognition of being who we were – and swarms of citizens rushed towards us, trying to reach out and touch our hands or…touch us _elsewhere_. This didn't go over too well with Geoffrey who'd just gotten pawed by an elderly Lilty woman who'd been too far under his radar for him to notice. He bellowed loudly and started snarling, swiping at the woman as she scuttled away. Gaia and Jakob grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and held him back, waving to show everyone that nothing was wrong with him.

"You guys need to head up to the stage now. Katie's got to read from the journal about your adventure and then I have to perform the Chalice Transference spell. Come along now!" Roland shouted above the chatter of people that had moved away from us to let us pass through them. Their hands stayed firmly to their sides, thanks to Geoff's firm growls.

The stage Roland had been talking about soon came into view, shaping itself to be a large oaken platform with intricate designs carved into the wood and painted regally. Torches hung in brackets all around the front of the stage. A set of stairs lead up both sides, and once we all got to the top of said platform, my eyes focused upon a podium that seemed to have been erected on the far side of the world. My vision was tunneling itself and I swayed precariously where I was, breathing shallowly. Jakob's hands steadied me, but I couldn't hear what he said. But…_some_one was talking to me. It was Amy, and she was leading me forward. Had time stopped? I couldn't remember Roland having said anything, or having passed me to go up to the podium first.

"I can't do this Amy…!" I squeaked, glad for once, of the absence of any kind of super-advanced technology like microphones.

"Kate, you've battled Boss's no one's ever _heard _of, and you're _still _afraid of public speaking?! Think of it like this is the _last _Boss. The final one you'll ever have to face. I promise you everything's going to get better after these next few minutes."

"Are you sure…?"

"Damn straight. Knock 'em dead Kate!"

And then Amy was gone, and a lead weight was pressing into my palms. Robotically, I looked down and saw the journal was lying there. I lifted it up and placed it on top of the pedestal before me. Fog was coming into my brain and blackness was covering the crowd below. I turned to my right and saw through the haze, that Amy was waving encouragement, along with everyone else. Jakob winked. Geoffrey smiled, and Gaia blew a kiss. My decision was made. I raised my head with confidence and looked out at a point above the crowds' heads. I opened the book and flipped to the first entry I had written about the journey, skimming over the more personal bits.

And it seemed that the words came easily, flowing quick and easily from my lips. I was getting into it; my arms were gesturing widely when I read about the battles, and my voice rose and fell when appropriate. I even got up enough courage to walk to the _front _of the podium and speak, the journal left behind and forgotten, being totally memorized. When I got to the end, and everyone started yelling and shouting and screaming Tsiknus's praise, I was almost sad to have it be over. A real surprise indeed. When I finished the last words of the final entry over the battle with the Gigas Lord, I bowed low to everyone in the audience and then to my friends. I saw Roland moving towards me, intent on speaking a final time. When we passed, he placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled my ear to him.

"Now go and get the Chalice from them. I need you to stand next to the Crystal as well."

I nodded and strode toward Jakob who traded the Chalice for the journal. I turned and walked alone back towards Roland who was standing with a torch taken from a bracket. Time seemed to slow as I approached him. He smiled warmly at me and I returned the favor, basking in this moment that would forever etch this moment into the minds of everyone present. Roland told me to place the Chalice on a stone pedestal before the Great Crystal whose inner light flared brightly as I did what I was told. The old man then started chanting all sorts of complicated sayings and waved his hands over the little crystal on top of the Chalice which sent a single beam of light rocketing up towards the stars. With a final word from Roland, the Myrrh sitting in the Chalice leaked up and out of itself and into the pillar of light. It then exploded and all the tiny pieces started rocketing into the Great Crystal, creating little sun flares as they went through the rock and to the heart.

A final piercing note broke the silence, and then Roland was hugging me, and my caravan was surrounding me and covering me with tears and kisses and hugs. The citizens of Alfitaria were crying out in joy and it seemed as if the very air we breathed had become cleaner and more pure. Their shouts shook the very earth, and I was only half-afraid that they might try and take the stage. Tears slid down my face with bliss.

* * *

It was quite a while after the ceremony that we were able to break away from most of the attention caused by it and really start to enjoy ourselves freely, with no more obligations to attend to other than to have a little fun at last. And indeed, there was hardly any place we could step to that wouldn't draw a chorus of 'hellos' and free food. The seams on my dress were bulging, but people were still telling me how gorgeous I looked. An un movable smile had plastered itself onto my face from the get-go. After some time, we had decided to split up; Nich and Momo skipped off hand-in-hand, Hanna, Gaia, and Sarah left towards the dance circle that had been erected around some folks with their instruments. Jakob, Geoffrey, Amy, and myself had stayed together though. I was just leaving a caramelized apple stand and squeezing between two other stalls towards Amy and Geoff who were chatting animatedly with each other, when something slinked around my waist.

I would've screamed, except I doubt anyone would've heard me, and I recognized the warm lips pressed to my neck. It was Jakob.

"Mmm…do you remember now?" he asked me, pulling my body up tight against his. I shivered, suddenly feeling the warm night air turn to Hell-like heat. I did remember. I told him as much, but nervously. My mind and heart were telling me two totally different things. I was such a naïve girl. "Then come on,"

I was stupid enough to let myself be swept away by my feelings for the prince. He took my hand and we slipped away from our friends and through the yammering folk about, acknowledging them as we were supposed to. All the while, my heart was racing. Was I really going to do this? I took the drink out of a Selkie man's hand when he offered it to me nonetheless, and then another and another as we got closer and closer to Margaret's inn, which was clearly going to be our final destination. By the time we were walking up the front steps, my head was swimming pleasantly enough and I was making decisions not entirely my own.

"Come on 'eere, babee~!" I slurred, pressing myself to the prince's chest and slinking my arms around his neck. My weight was forcing him into the door, but he didn't deny me my fun as I kissed him sloppily, stumbling in my shoes. I moaned, colorful clouds erupting in my head at the touch. His hands circled my waist and slinked their way up into my hair, gripping me fiercely. He took one away and opened the door, pulling us both inside before we could get too carried away in the public eye. I was letting myself go, I knew that. It felt like I was watching us from far away, as if from another person's eyes. I saw Jakob's tall form drape itself over my own against the back side of the door. Saw his hands roam my body and cup my breasts. I _felt _his soft lips brush over my jaw line, down my neck, and over my collarbone. He stopped above my rapidly rising and falling breasts to look up at my bright red cheeks and mussed hair for permission. I whimpered a weak 'yes', and he smirked crookedly.

He kissed his way down my dress, flicking his tongue over the curve revealed by my dress, his hands dropping to my waist, my hips, and then to the bottom of my dress, pulling it upward. My breath hitched in my throat as Jakob hoisted it above my waist and resumed hi ministrations, his magic fingers trailing fire over my skin as he teased me relentlessly, slowly working his way down to my underwear.

"Up…stairs…!" I moaned wildly, hooking my fingers in his gelled spikes and stealing another kiss. He obliged easily enough, scooping me into his arms and taking the stairs three at a time, heading towards the room he shared with the other guys. He carefully eased open the door and slipped inside, shutting it behind him. He dropped me softly onto the mattress that he'd claimed and leaned on his elbow above me. I looked into his eyes, and through what I hoped was true love, and not just stupid teenage lust, I pulled him to me.

The prince undid the tie holding up my dress and the fabric slipped easily down to pool at my waist where it got stuck by my hips. I kicked off my heels using the big toe on each of my feet and scooted higher onto the bed, leading Jakob by a finger under his chin. I felt that he was trembling as much as I was.

"Do not…teel meeh that you are scarred too…!" I teased.

"No. It is not that…You are just…so precious to me. Worth so much. I…I do not wish to hurt you Katie…If this is indeed what you want." And his eyes turned away from mine to angle down at a point between my bare breasts. I smiled, heart swelling, and told him what I thought he wanted to hear:

"I want nothing more than you."

* * *

**Nich's POV**

I opened the door to Margaret's inn and peered inside to see if anyone was there. I craned an ear to hear, but there was nothing. I tugged on an adorably child-like hand and we went inside, slinking up the stairs toward my room. Morgan was hesitant, saying that she didn't want to do it somewhere where anyone was likely to come in at any moment, but I assured her that we had been at a party where the _whole city _was invited, and that if she knew our friends at all, they were going to stay at the party until dawn. Another excuse she had come up with was that dawn was indeed near.

"All the more reason to do it while we've got the chance, don't you think?" I told her again, taking her lips outside the door to my room. For a moment, I hesitated, wondering if someone might already be inside, but I pulled Morgan to me and kissed away any thoughts I might have had before. We opened the door and saw something I didn't think we were going to _ever _see. At least, not for a while or anything. And **definitely **not between the two people we saw naked and tangling with each other beneath the silken comforter. We backed out the door silently, the sight burned into our eyes. I blinked down at my love, asking for confirmation as to what we had been unholy witnesses to.

"They weren't…having _sex _or anything…were they?" Morgan asked me shakily, her eyes having that deer-caught-in-the-headlights thing goin' on. Unsure myself as to just _what _that was, I didn't answer her. But together we went and sat down at a table on the first floor, not really in the party _or _love-making mood ourselves. Soon enough, the pitter-patter of guilty feet reached our ears, along with the sound of crying. Jakob and Katie emerged, hastily wrapped into sheets, Jake's arm around Katie's heaving shoulders. They walked unsteadily toward us.

"They're g-g-going da dink I'd a sluuuut!" Katie wailed horribly.

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit to myself. Katie was always one for dramatics. Her tendency to overreact was something I had gotten used to long ago and was now a little funny. Morgan punched me in the ribs to silence me as the possible new lovers seated themselves across the table from us. Katie wiped her running eyes and nose on her sheet and stared googly-eyed across the table at Morgan and myself.

"Do you dink I'm a dubid slut?" she asked.

Morgan reached across the table and took the younger girl's hands in her own, clutching them to her breast. And in that tender tone of voice only girls can adopt, said,

"No, Katie. You were doing what you did out of love, and that is nothing to be ashamed of."

I made eye contact with the prince and we both blossomed red, wondering how the sappy things Morgan was whispering to Katie could possibly be coming out of her mouth. Jake coughed loudly to get our attention.

"Umm…we did not do anything." He said, turning pink around the ears now.

"Say what?" Morgan and I said at the same time. For some reason, this eased some of the embarrassment I was feeling. So I _hadn't _walked in on some horrifyingly personal moment? They _hadn't _had sex or anything?

"We…were _about to_ you see…when you walked in, but…nothing actually…yeah…" the way the flustered young man in front of me was unable to finish his sentence was so utterly endearing I almost couldn't handle it. And he'd had so many concubines before. Was the thought of being with our dear Katie too hard to put into words? A smile spread across my face.

"Oh. Then-erm…do you want to…?" Morgan gestured half-heartedly out the windows to where the partiers could be seen through drawn curtains raging in full-effect. Something about fireworks filtered through and Katie jumped up, shaking her head that she did indeed want to leave the inn. The hurt expression on Jakob's face was amusing to say the least, as he watched the sheet-wrapped young girl bound back up the stairs with Morgan who was going to help fix her up. Now that the womenfolk were gone, I clasped my hands on the table before me and stared at the prince hard.

"Were you planning _entirely _on having sex with Katie?" I asked.

Jakob flushed red, but nodded surely, not breaking eye contact with me. An admirable move indeed.

"And were you going to leave her feelings after? Like nothing had happened? And like she meant nothing to you whatsoever? Would you be that kind of man with her, Jakob?"

Jake's eyes darkened dangerously, and I felt like I had knocked upon a nerve.

"There is nothing I would not do for Katie, Nich. Nothing whatsoever."

Strong words from a _boy _who'd been too afraid to put the words 'Katie' and 'having sex with' in the same sentence. No matter how many previous partners he may have had in the past, he was still inexperienced when it came to love, I could tell.

"You promise me here and now that you won't ever hurt her…If you get a second chance, you hear me? You'd better not screw something like that up." I said sternly, putting all force I had behind those words. And I meant them, truly and honestly. Katie was one of my dearest friends, and if the first boy she ever fell in love with was going to break her heart, I would break his soul.

"Never. Katie is someone extremely important in my life. I…I think I lo--!"

His sentence was interrupted by the arrival of our girls coming back down the stairs. Katie looked like an airbrushed model once more and Morgan more besides.

"You'd better go get your clothes back on so you can look the part of Katie's partner, you dog!" I said jokingly, softly kicking Jakob's leg beneath the table. He flinched and left up the stairs.


	95. A Night Under the Stars

**Momo**: You scare me, Sarah.

**Sarah**: Are you going to take it back?

**Jakob**: (I'd do what she says, Momo. You know what happens when Sarah gets crossed. Remember that time at the mall when that woman said there were no such things as extraterrestrials, and Sarah decided to fashion a hand grenade out of a hot dog on a stick and an Orange Julius and we had to-)

**Momo**: I take it back.

**Sarah**: I know you weren't thinking about anyone in particular there, Jakie.

**Jakob**: How would I know that Gaia had blue satin jock-strap-plus-sword-holster undergarments? Unless, of course, I saw one sticking out of your pocket.

**Sarah**: Nice try. It's not in my pocket. It's in my bra. Close to my heart.

**Jakob**: MY BRAIN! MY BRAIN IS BLEEDING!! Make it stop!!!!

**

* * *

**

**Jakob's POV**

I could not believe how stupid I had been. If I had only locked the door behind us, then Momo and Nich might not have walked in on us! And I might have gotten the chance to finally do what I had longed for the moment I laid eyes on Katie. She was so perfect. I could really feel that I was falling for this girl harder and faster than I had for anyone in the past. She made me forget all other things when I was with her. A remarkable woman. Sixteen. Now, in my world in any case, she had come of age. She could choose a partner if she so chose to. I tugged my dress shirt on over my head and struggled with the tie, hating the way it felt like a leash around my throat.

_'Hmm…I wonder if Katie is into…' _

No! There was just _no way _that I was going to even _think_ about letting my mind wander in that direction! I slapped myself a couple of times before finishing getting dressed and spiking up my hair again as best as I could with my fingers. I emerged into the first floor carrying myself as if nothing had happened. I walked over to Katie and put my arm around her, to comfort her. She flinched and looked up at me with wide, scared, and…slightly dilated eyes. Oh, fuck. She was _drunk_ too! So the chance of Katie remembering the night we might have spent together was slim to none with her alcohol-filled brain. I mentally punched myself with an iron fist. How could I not have noticed that she was so far gone? I had almost just _taken advantage _of a helpless young girl! What the hell was _wrong _with me?!

"Come on Jakob! Bring Katie! We're going to go find a good spot for the fireworks, ok?" Nich was asking from the door. One hand was resting lightly on the doorknob, the other around Momo's waist. The casual way he touched her made me wonder just vaguely how far they had gotten with each other. Nonetheless, I guided Katie to the waiting couple and we dove into the crowds once more.

We received much acknowledgment from the populous as we wound around and through the organized chaos, stopping occasionally to get information about the fireworks show that we'd heard was going to start. A little Clavat boy with his mother said that it was due to start in about an hour's time and that most of the people were heading towards the outlying deserts to watch in the open lands. And that Yukes were going to be in charge of the event. We thanked him and debated amongst ourselves whether or not we should go with the crowds or find our own little spot somewhere.

"No offense, but I think that's going to be a little impossible." Katie said bitingly, jutting her thumb at all the people that seemed to endlessly be pouring out of buildings around us. The return of her usual self calmed me down a bit, but also, the way she kept shrugging me off whenever I tried touching her hurt in more ways than one. Nich offered me sympathetic glances often. But now, his face brightened as he got an idea.

"Follow me!" he said, whipping around and cutting swiftly through the people. We nearly had to stampede some of them to keep in sight of him. Many heads turned to us in indignation as we bumped into them, and for some reason I found the whole situation rather ludicrous. Before I knew it, laughter was erupting from my throat.

"What's your problem?" Katie asked me, rubbing a palm into her eye.

"Nothing. I just think the way we are behaving is rather stupid. And…I wish to apologize for earlier, Katie. I will not try it again, all right?"

I could see from the corner of my eye that she was giving me a hard once-over as if testing my words for lies. But I was not lieing to her. I never could. And I was glad that she could tell, and would easily forgive me. She slapped my shoulder and rushed forward towards the quickly-vanishing couple of Nich and Morgan.

"I'll race ya!" she said, smirking devilishly.

This was the girl I was falling in love with.

I smirked and charged as well, easily overcoming her, but letting her catch up every now and then so she would not get lost. We regrouped with Nich and Morgan at the base. It seemed familiar, and I recognized it by the Great Crystal that was standing nearby, giving off a happy glow.

"Is this…?" I was getting ready to ask, but Nich interrupted me by putting a finger to my lips. He lead us around the back of the town square's main building where a ladder had been erected. A smile appeared on Morgan's lips. Had Nich taken her here before? But what was up there I wondered. Silently, we climbed up the ladder, emerging onto the wide, flat roof. Katie's eyes widened in surprise. Sitting before us was an array of blankets and wine bottles and cushions and candles arranged into a cozy ring right in the middle of the top of the building. I myself was quite surprised, and pleased to find a joking manner was at my disposal. I poked Nich in the ribs.

"This your love nest, eh?"

"Well, we couldn't very well go doing it at the inn where _someone could walk in on us _could we?"

I paled, but the others laughed. Katie was clearly going to forget about this night by the way she rushed for the first bottle of alcohol.

"I was kidding by the way." Nich told me as we seated ourselves into the pillows about us. He and Morgan were cuddled up in a corner, but an awkward air remained between Katie and I. Something we were both stonily aware of. I opened my mouth to say something when—

**_KABOOM!!! _**

The first of the fireworks started going off.

I felt something large push up against me and was quite surprised to find Katie in my arms with her fingers in her ears.

"I hate fireworks!" she whined.

With my mouth hanging open, I looked up at Morgan and Nich who were both smirking.

'You knew this?' I mouthed at them. They nodded. I scratched the back of my head, unsure of what to do with my hands. Another firework bloomed almost directly above our heads and Katie flinched, clutching my jacket in her palms. Was she plastered again already? Oh well, I had to take advantage of the moment. I pulled the shaking girl up and into the crook of my arm, keeping her there with said arm. She still shivered every time a firework went off, but it was better here on my side than on top of me where she might damage something.

After a particularly long explosion of fireworks went off, Katie tilted her chin up to mine and being the stupid man that I am, I looked down at her, thinking she was going to kiss me. Eagerly, I gripped her chin in my hand and brought her closer to me. Then…

She hurled.

* * *

I never thought that Katie would be able to disgust me as much as she did in that moment. She was lucky she was going to forget that moment, but it was totally not one _I _was ever going to forget, 'though I certainly wished I would.

After Katie puked up all the contents of her stomach on me and the surrounding area, she had passed out cold. I propped her up away from me with my hands, not wanting her to splat into the vomit everywhere else. Nich and Morgan on the opposite side of the area were staring wide-eyed at me.

"Don't just sit there. _Do something_!" I cried, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The couple disentangled themselves, snickering, trying to keep in their laughter. "If either of you so much as _think _about saying _anything _right now, I will have you exiled from the capital!" I snarled threateningly. That shut them up. 'Though they were still exchanging crinkle-eyed smiles with each other.

"Here. I'll take this…" Morgan pulled Katie's limp body away from me while I stood up, unleashing a torrent of puke onto the ground. I struggled to hold in my stomach as well. Nich slipped down the ladder first, then myself. Morgan was standing at the top, angling Katie a certain way so that when dropped, she would safely land in Nich's arms. I would have volunteered to do that myself, if I had not been covered in the bile of my beloved. Down came Katie, and then Momo.

"Could we…?" I gestured to my clothes, hoping I would not have to finish my sentence. Luckily, the other two got my message of asking if we could just stick to the darkness so I wouldn't have to wander around town smelling like roadkill.

"You're in luck Jake m'boy!" Nich announced after having peaked around the corner of the town square building. "Look's like the party's over. Everyone's gone."

I breathed a sigh of relief. That was going to make the trip home a lot faster.

Regardless of how empty the streets _may _have seemed to the sharp-eyed Asian, we rushed quickly through the streets toward Margaret's inn, and stood on the stoop to catch our breath before opening the door and walking inside…

To a crowd of people we knew gawking at our current state.

Oh shit.

Immediately, we were grabbed by our clothes and snagged inside, hearing the door slam behind us. I cradled Katie to my chest as an angry bandit barreled across the room towards me, looking pissed as hell. He was still shorter than I was, but he was able to look me square in the eye none the less.

_"Where the hell were you guys?! And what didja do to Katie?!" _

His accusations pissed me off a lot, and this surprised me. I mean, Katie was a full-grown legal woman now, and what we may or…_may **not**_…have done, should have been none of his business! The younger man should have kept quiet. So instead of dignifying his snappish demands with a response, I pushed by him and headed for the stairs, intent on lying Katie in her bed. But Geoffrey would have none of that. And neither, it seemed, would anybody else. I turned to look at them, tuning out the annoying bandit leader.

They were looking at me like I had done something criminal. Like I had done something that should make me get thrown in jail. Their expressions relayed this to me and I sighed dejectedly. Was I _really _going to have to sit or stand here in puke-covered clothes, with Katie in my arms, and tell them all just what had happened up on the rooftop? _SERIOUSLY?! _

"I…I think I should take Katie…upstairs." Momo said shyly to me, holding out her arms. "I'll change her…too." I reluctantly let Katie go, ignoring Geoffrey's victorious smirk. But it did not go unnoticed by me that he calmed down once she and I were no longer in close proximity to each other. I ground me teeth. Being with these people was quickly making me lose the cool composure I had worked so hard to maintain for so long before I had met them. I pulled out a bench and seated myself at the table where the others were waiting for an explanation. Nich was sitting on the corner, looking uncomfortable and out-of-place without Momo beside him. His face was colored red and he was staring at his twiddling thumbs.

"Where can I begin…?" I said mostly to myself, letting out a pent-in breath of air and putting my face in my hands.

"How about the part where you got Katie drunk enough that you could throw her down and have your way with her? 3" Gaia asked helpfully, grinning from ear to ear. His happily swinging legs beneath the table nudged mine in earnest. I stabbed him in the shin with the toe of my dress shoe and he whimpered. Sarah threw me a smirk that I _gladly _returned. Geoff did not look too pleased either.

"Well, you see…" I had never been that good of a liar, having been raised up in a strict household with firm beliefs in truth and honesty. But I was totally going to have to pull this one out of my ass if I planned on making it to the end of this journey, "I was walking around with Nich and Momo when I went off in search of a bathroom. And that is when I found Katie walking around by herself. I thought that was a bit odd myself, since she normally is the center of attention. But upon closer inspection, I saw that she was indeed the center of attention, but not in a good way. The girl was totally sloshed and surrounded by all these…_lesser good _folk. So I came to her rescue and told her off real well. I tried bringing her back to the inn before she could make even _more _of a fool of herself, but before I could get her inside, she had vomited all over me and there was nothing I could do. So do you see? I really did nothing wrong. You can even check my story with Nich and Momo when she gets back down here if you want."

Everyone at the table turned their heads to look at Nich who confirmed my story hastily. A couple of them seemed unconvinced; the smarter ones, that is. Some of the dimmer ones ate up the story easily enough. Gaia was even telling us about the last time we had been at this inn and Katie had gotten a hold of some spiked milk and got drunk. Atleast she had not puked all over him then. I scowled and got a good whiff of myself.

"Umm…do you mind if I go change now?" I asked the room in general

Jakob's POV

I could not believe how stupid I had been. If I had only locked the door behind us, then Momo and Nich might not have walked in on us! And I might have gotten the chance to finally do what I had longed for the moment I laid eyes on Katie. She was so perfect. I could really feel that I was falling for this girl harder and faster than I had for anyone in the past. She made me forget all other things when I was with her. A remarkable woman. Sixteen. Now, in my world in any case, she had come of age. She could choose a partner if she so chose to. I tugged my dress shirt on over my head and struggled with the tie, hating the way it felt like a leash around my throat.

'Hmm…I wonder if Katie is into…'

No! There was just no way that I was going to even think about letting my mind wander in that direction! I slapped myself a couple of times before finishing getting dressed and spiking up my hair again as best as I could with my fingers. I emerged into the first floor carrying myself as if nothing had happened. I walked over to Katie and put my arm around her, to comfort her. She flinched and looked up at me with wide, scared, and…slightly dilated eyes. Oh, fuck. She was drunk too! So the chance of Katie remembering the night we might have spent together was slim to none with her alcohol-filled brain. I mentally punched myself with an iron fist. How could I not have noticed that she was so far gone? I had almost just taken advantage of a helpless young girl! What the hell was wrong with me?!

"Come on Jakob! Bring Katie! We're going to go find a good spot for the fireworks, ok?" Nich was asking from the door. One hand was resting lightly on the doorknob, the other around Momo's waist. The casual way he touched her made me wonder just vaguely how far they had gotten with each other. Nonetheless, I guided Katie to the waiting couple and we dove into the crowds once more.

We received much acknowledgment from the populous as we wound around and through the organized chaos, stopping occasionally to get information about the fireworks show that we'd heard was going to start. A little Clavat boy with his mother said that it was due to start in about an hour's time and that most of the people were heading towards the outlying deserts to watch in the open lands. And that Yukes were going to be in charge of the event. We thanked him and debated amongst ourselves whether or not we should go with the crowds or find our own little spot somewhere.

"No offense, but I think that's going to be a little impossible." Katie said bitingly, jutting her thumb at all the people that seemed to endlessly be pouring out of buildings around us. The return of her usual self calmed me down a bit, but also, the way she kept shrugging me off whenever I tried touching her hurt in more ways than one. Nich offered me sympathetic glances often. But now, his face brightened as he got an idea.

* * *

**RAC: **All right. Someone might have gotten confused by the large three updates today. I'm just sayin' that since I'm done, whenever log online, three large chapters will be uploaded. I really want you all to read my story and love it just like I have. It took me four years to complete. Since seventh grade! And now I'm a Junior in high school. Thanks for being with me after all this time!!


	96. Less Than a Year

**Momo**: Did someone mention pizza?

**Hanna**: No.

**Momo**: There it is again!

**Hanna**: Not really.

**Momo**: I knew it! I knew someone was talking about pizza!

**Hanna**: Only figuratively.

**Momo**: Can you talk about it literally? Because I don't want to scare you or anything, but _Lord of the Flies _is beginning to seek less like a novel and more like a cookbook to me, if you get my drift.

**Hanna**: I think it's that drift I'm going to steer clear of.

**Momo**: Mmmm, steer.

* * *

"Follow me!" he said, whipping around and cutting swiftly through the people. We nearly had to stampede some of them to keep in sight of him. Many heads turned to us in indignation as we bumped into them, and for some reason I found the whole situation rather ludicrous. Before I knew it, laughter was erupting from my throat.

"What's your problem?" Katie asked me, rubbing a palm into her eye.

"Nothing. I just think the way we are behaving is rather stupid. And…I wish to apologize for earlier, Katie. I will not try it again, all right?"

I could see from the corner of my eye that she was giving me a hard once-over as if testing my words for lies. But I was not lieing to her. I never could. And I was glad that she could tell, and would easily forgive me. She slapped my shoulder and rushed forward towards the quickly-vanishing couple of Nich and Morgan.

"I'll race ya!" she said, smirking devilishly.

This was the girl I was falling in love with.

I smirked and charged as well, easily overcoming her, but letting her catch up every now and then so she would not get lost. We regrouped with Nich and Morgan at the base. It seemed familiar, and I recognized it by the Great Crystal that was standing nearby, giving off a happy glow.

"Is this…?" I was getting ready to ask, but Nich interrupted me by putting a finger to my lips. He lead us around the back of the town square's main building where a ladder had been erected. A smile appeared on Morgan's lips. Had Nich taken her here before? But what was up there I wondered. Silently, we climbed up the ladder, emerging onto the wide, flat roof. Katie's eyes widened in surprise. Sitting before us was an array of blankets and wine bottles and cushions and candles arranged into a cozy ring right in the middle of the top of the building. I myself was quite surprised, and pleased to find a joking manner was at my disposal. I poked Nich in the ribs.

"This your love nest, eh?"

"Well, we couldn't very well go doing it at the inn where _someone could walk in on us _could we?"

I paled, but the others laughed. Katie was clearly going to forget about this night by the way she rushed for the first bottle of alcohol.

"I was kidding by the way." Nich told me as we seated ourselves into the pillows about us. He and Morgan were cuddled up in a corner, but an awkward air remained between Katie and I. Something we were both stonily aware of. I opened my mouth to say something when—

**_KABOOM!!! _**

The first of the fireworks started going off.

I felt something large push up against me and was quite surprised to find Katie in my arms with her fingers in her ears.

"I hate fireworks!" she whined.

With my mouth hanging open, I looked up at Morgan and Nich who were both smirking.

'You knew this?' I mouthed at them. They nodded. I scratched the back of my head, unsure of what to do with my hands. Another firework bloomed almost directly above our heads and Katie flinched, clutching my jacket in her palms. Was she plastered again already? Oh well, I had to take advantage of the moment. I pulled the shaking girl up and into the crook of my arm, keeping her there with said arm. She still shivered every time a firework went off, but it was better here on my side than on top of me where she might damage something.

After a particularly long explosion of fireworks went off, Katie tilted her chin up to mine and being the stupid man that I am, I looked down at her, thinking she was going to kiss me. Eagerly, I gripped her chin in my hand and brought her closer to me. Then…

She hurled.

* * *

I never thought that Katie would be able to disgust me as much as she did in that moment. She was lucky she was going to forget that moment, but it was totally not one _I _was ever going to forget, 'though I certainly wished I would.

After Katie puked up all the contents of her stomach on me and the surrounding area, she had passed out cold. I propped her up away from me with my hands, not wanting her to splat into the vomit everywhere else. Nich and Morgan on the opposite side of the area were staring wide-eyed at me.

"Don't just sit there. _Do something_!" I cried, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The couple disentangled themselves, snickering, trying to keep in their laughter. "If either of you so much as _think _about saying _anything _right now, I will have you exiled from the capital!" I snarled threateningly. That shut them up. 'Though they were still exchanging crinkle-eyed smiles with each other.

"Here. I'll take this…" Morgan pulled Katie's limp body away from me while I stood up, unleashing a torrent of puke onto the ground. I struggled to hold in my stomach as well. Nich slipped down the ladder first, then myself. Morgan was standing at the top, angling Katie a certain way so that when dropped, she would safely land in Nich's arms. I would have volunteered to do that myself, if I had not been covered in the bile of my beloved. Down came Katie, and then Momo.

"Could we…?" I gestured to my clothes, hoping I would not have to finish my sentence. Luckily, the other two got my message of asking if we could just stick to the darkness so I wouldn't have to wander around town smelling like roadkill.

"You're in luck Jake m'boy!" Nich announced after having peaked around the corner of the town square building. "Look's like the party's over. Everyone's gone."

I breathed a sigh of relief. That was going to make the trip home a lot faster.

Regardless of how empty the streets _may _have seemed to the sharp-eyed Asian, we rushed quickly through the streets toward Margaret's inn, and stood on the stoop to catch our breath before opening the door and walking inside…

To a crowd of people we knew gawking at our current state.

Oh shit.

Immediately, we were grabbed by our clothes and snagged inside, hearing the door slam behind us. I cradled Katie to my chest as an angry bandit barreled across the room towards me, looking pissed as hell. He was still shorter than I was, but he was able to look me square in the eye none the less.

_"Where the hell were you guys?! And what didja do to Katie?!" _

His accusations pissed me off a lot, and this surprised me. I mean, Katie was a full-grown legal woman now, and what we may or…_may **not**_…have done, should have been none of his business! The younger man should have kept quiet. So instead of dignifying his snappish demands with a response, I pushed by him and headed for the stairs, intent on lying Katie in her bed. But Geoffrey would have none of that. And neither, it seemed, would anybody else. I turned to look at them, tuning out the annoying bandit leader.

They were looking at me like I had done something criminal. Like I had done something that should make me get thrown in jail. Their expressions relayed this to me and I sighed dejectedly. Was I _really _going to have to sit or stand here in puke-covered clothes, with Katie in my arms, and tell them all just what had happened up on the rooftop? _SERIOUSLY?! _

"I…I think I should take Katie…upstairs." Momo said shyly to me, holding out her arms. "I'll change her…too." I reluctantly let Katie go, ignoring Geoffrey's victorious smirk. But it did not go unnoticed by me that he calmed down once she and I were no longer in close proximity to each other. I ground me teeth. Being with these people was quickly making me lose the cool composure I had worked so hard to maintain for so long before I had met them. I pulled out a bench and seated myself at the table where the others were waiting for an explanation. Nich was sitting on the corner, looking uncomfortable and out-of-place without Momo beside him. His face was colored red and he was staring at his twiddling thumbs.

"Where can I begin…?" I said mostly to myself, letting out a pent-in breath of air and putting my face in my hands.

"How about the part where you got Katie drunk enough that you could throw her down and have your way with her? 3" Gaia asked helpfully, grinning from ear to ear. His happily swinging legs beneath the table nudged mine in earnest. I stabbed him in the shin with the toe of my dress shoe and he whimpered. Sarah threw me a smirk that I _gladly _returned. Geoff did not look too pleased either.

"Well, you see…" I had never been that good of a liar, having been raised up in a strict household with firm beliefs in truth and honesty. But I was totally going to have to pull this one out of my ass if I planned on making it to the end of this journey, "I was walking around with Nich and Momo when I went off in search of a bathroom. And that is when I found Katie walking around by herself. I thought that was a bit odd myself, since she normally is the center of attention. But upon closer inspection, I saw that she was indeed the center of attention, but not in a good way. The girl was totally sloshed and surrounded by all these…_lesser good _folk. So I came to her rescue and told her off real well. I tried bringing her back to the inn before she could make even _more _of a fool of herself, but before I could get her inside, she had vomited all over me and there was nothing I could do. So do you see? I really did nothing wrong. You can even check my story with Nich and Momo when she gets back down here if you want."

Everyone at the table turned their heads to look at Nich who confirmed my story hastily. A couple of them seemed unconvinced; the smarter ones, that is. Some of the dimmer ones ate up the story easily enough. Gaia was even telling us about the last time we had been at this inn and Katie had gotten a hold of some spiked milk and got drunk. Atleast she had not puked all over him then. I scowled and got a good whiff of myself.

"Umm…do you mind if I go change now?" I asked the room in general.

Everyone took a general whiff of the air and I saw slight looks of disgust spread across their features. Even Amy looked a little put off, and I had a feeling that she harbored secret emotions for me. That hurt just a bit. Hurt my manly pride that is, and my ego. I was the king of the capital dammit! I was _irresistible!_ I glared at the group of people before angrily scooting away from the table and heading for my room to get some pajamas. I passed Momo coming out of one of the girls' rooms when I came out of my own. "How is she?" I asked.

"She's fine. Too much alcohol too fast I suppose. It _was _a wild night after all!" the older lady's insinuation sent ripples of embarrassment flooding through me. Luckily, most of the lamps in the halls were going out as I headed back downstairs, going by my friends downstairs as I made my way towards the baths where I could get clean at last.

Once I opened the doors to the open-air bath, the steam hit me in the face and mixed with the chilly night air. Without all the hustling and bustling bodies around me, I was surprised with how cold it was outside. I checked behind me to see if I might be receiving some company, but I heard nothing and stripped down to the bone and placing my things on a rock near the edge of the pool. I dipped a toe into the waters, testing them for temperature. When I found it to be suitable, I slowly went out further and further until the steamy water completely covered my head. I stayed under until I could not hold my breath any longer and burst up for air. For some reason, my face was radiating warmth and I did not think that it had anything to do with the water. I swam over to a rock with a low-sitting ledge I could rest on and pondered the thought. Katie…

_'Such an intriguing woman. I know that I could indeed have anyone in the world, so why does it have to be her for me, huh? She really is nothing special. There are plenty of other beautiful women in the country. And she is so odd. Being so forward one moment, and then cold and aloof the next! She acts as if she does not want me at all! It is completely vexing…and enamoring. Perhaps that is why she has taken such a tight grip on my heart.' _

Such things were sure to give me a headache. I sighed and looked up, leaning my head on the rock behind me.

"Oh, the moon…!" I muttered out loud. It was hanging pure white and whole, shining above me, forever out of reach. Such a stunning thing to look at. It cast its light down on us all with gentle brilliance, while somehow mocking us with the fact that no one would ever be able to reach it. And yet…I wanted it still. A thing that I would never be able to have. Then, out of nowhere in such a cloudless night, a cloud snaked its way in front of the moon, inking it out.

An ominous sign of what was to come perhaps?

* * *

**Katie's POV – Dream Mode ((After so long! =D))**

The golden gate.

Such a familiar scene for me to be floating naked in front of a gate standing seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with darkness spreading out as far as I could see. But it had been _so long _since I had been brought here, that the suddenness of it all shocked me. Also, I didn't think it'd be possible, since Mackentosh's spirit had been taken hostage, or so it had seemed at the time. Maybe the king hadn't destroyed her spirit after all…?

I moved forward towards the familiar crack that was no longer covered up by weird ooze and peered into it. Nothing too strange seemed to be happening within the space beyond, so I pushed on the door, and it opened lightly at my touch. I had been expecting much more resistance, so my added momentum, rocketed me forward and I skidded in the dirt, getting a rather tasty mouthful. I spit out the grit in disgust and got up, looking around for things that might be out of place.

Like the king himself.

But nothing was making a move towards me, and the bushes ahead seemed as normal as they had before, so I stepped into them, brushing the branches out of my way. I held my eyes closed when I came out on the other side however, afraid that I might find something that would scare me. But indeed, there was nothing of the sort.

"What are you doing, you fool?" a voice snapped at me.

A tear squeezed its way out of the corner of my eye and through my fingers as I lowered them. Mackentosh's familiar tone brought back such fond memories for me. And it shattered the horrible pictures I had imagined myself seeing of her body strung up on ropes or something. She was sitting perched on her rock in the garden with her arms and legs crossed; a crooked smirk on her lips. I ran towards her, stretching out my arms in joy.

Then collided with the rock she was on and flipped straight through her with a not-too-hot shriek.

"What the hell?!" I cried, laughing hysterically. "What a way to ruin the moment!"

Mackentosh allowed herself a chuckle or two, but made no move to help me up. I had forgotten that I wasn't able to touch another corporeal body in this realm. But I was able to touch this world itself. It was complicated.

"What happened to you, Mackentosh?" I asked her, staring wide-eyed at her seemingly unhurt body. She lifted her shoulders and let them drop. "I guess the king wanted me alive to give you a message, Kit-Kat." She gave by way of explanation.

"A…message? From that **_bastard_**?" I asked guardedly.

"Yes." My friend's brow furrowed heavily as she went deep into thought to try and remember what he may have told her. "He _chose _to bring you back to this world, and he wants you to know that well."

I guess that explains why I was brought back here all of the sudden. If the king of Conall Curach had taken control of this area, then I guess he could choose when to open it to those of us who could see it. I nodded that I understood, and for her to continue.

"Also, that…and I do not think you yourself know this, since you haven't consulted your map in a while…but you are dangerously close to completing your mission. To finding him. You have only to cross Jegon River's east, then west banks, with a couple of towns in between – with _no _bosses left to face – before you come to his lands. Conall Curach."

"**Oh. Shit.**" I stuttered. That was a revelation for me. Something I hadn't been banking on. That we were so near to the end of the journey we had begun a couple of years ago. Anxiety found a hole in my heart and took root, spreading its deadly tentacles deep into my consciousness. "H-how much longer do you think that w-we have?"

My dead companion tapped her chin thoughtfully, making me nervous. But then she fixed me with a dead-on stare and jumped off her stone, moving towards me. Although I now recalled that I could not touch her, she got close enough that I could count the barely-there freckles spanning the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were still locked onto mine as she brushed her thin fingers down my spine. Goosebumps followed shortly after, and did not fade as Mackentosh continued to fix me with her piercing stare. It was going to be bad. I just knew it.

"You have less than a year, my dear friend."

Her words had me rooted to the spot. Instantly, terrifying images flooded my mind, and I did not think that they were entirely false. I saw people dieing, and felt a betrayal on its way. My eyes darkened to black. I clenched my fists as Mackentosh stepped back and resumed her sitting position on the rock behind her. I ground my teeth and felt something flood my body. With hope, not despair. And it felt white-hot, scorching my flesh as it wound its tendrils through my system. I raised my chin to Mackentosh and opened my mouth,

"Mackentosh, I will do you proud! I will _not _back down to the evil tyrant of Conall Curach, no matter how evil he may seem, or what challenges he may throw at me. I have friends and loved ones so precious in this world that I am willing to die for, and I shall not stop in my quest to protect them. And to do so means killing the demented king. And living! For them…Thank you, my friend." And I smiled at her, cocking my head to the side and clasping my hands behind my back. Fierce determination spurred me on from here on out. I received a smile from Mackentosh in return, and then all went dark.

I was waking up.


	97. Upgrade

**Amy**: Are you OK, Katie? I'm really sorry he turned out to be a guy who doesn't like having girls throw up on him.

**Katie**: It's just my luck. All the good men I like aren't.

**Amy**: Aren't?

**Katie**: Either they aren't good, or they aren't men.

**Amy**: Have you ever considered maybe you should look for another type?

**Katie**: You mean like _CHRIS_? ((**RAC: **A boy in the marching band I SWEAR she likes))

**Amy**: No, for once, I was actually not thinking about him. I don't know, maybe someone who shares your interests. Or someone your age.

**Katie**: I guess. Are you flossing?

**Amy**: Yes. There's nothing else to do. Want some?

**

* * *

**

**The Following Morning**

I had a pounding headache and roiling stomach. I groaned when I rolled onto my side, trying to ease the ministrations. It didn't help at all. I stumbled to the bathroom and hurled into the toilet. I held myself up with shaking arms on the rim for a moment before leaning back and collapsing onto the floor. I lay there, spread-eagled, feeling much better now that all that alcohol was out of my system. But that damnable hangover wasn't leaving me. I mashed a fist into my eye angrily. That's when Amy and Sarah walked in, bleary-eyed and yawning.

"Hurling so early in the morning, Kate? Must be morning sickness, don'cha think Sarah?" Amy asked her counterpart frostily, looking down on me with slightly distant eyes. I took her insult running, sure that the jab was due mostly to it being so early in the morning and having puke leaving my stomach be her alarm clock. Sarah nodded slowly, smirking, but holding a side of her head at the movement, a sure sign that she hadn't spent the whole previous evening sober either.

"What're you guys talking about?" I questioned, pushing myself off the ground.

"Don't tell me you don't remember _anything_!" Amy snorted in disbelief, but pink tinted her cheeks. What'd she have to be so happy about anyway?

"No. I remember taking a couple of drinks with Jakob tugging on my arm awfully fast, but after that…not much." I shrugged nonchalantly and pushed through the two of them, heading for my pack. I took note of the pile of rumpled, vomit-reeking clothes near the end of my bed. Something had to have happened. I would have to ask Jake about it later. I dug around for a clean outfit and turned to look at my companions, a smile spreading across my face.

"Sarah, Amy, today we _train_!"

* * *

Needless to say, the task of having to drag some very tired and hung over people from their beds was a hard one. Made even harder once I told them what we were going to be doing for the day. The _whole _day too. Eventually, they all were ready and no mater how willing, following me out into the busy streets. Our swords and shield were on our hips and backs and our armor was in place, having been shined to perfection before leaving the inn. I had explained to Margaret that we were going to be out training ourselves for the day and to not expect us for a meal. She smiled, though looking a bit weary, and sent us off to the old Lilty Johavsven's shop.

I was second to enter the store, beaten by the ever-chipper Gaia who seemed to be built of sterner stuff than the rest of us. He was virtually _bouncing _off the walls once he got inside, already yapping away with the poor old Jo who, from the look of him, had been hoping that the last time we'd been in here would be the last time he'd see Gaia. I couldn't blame him really. But needless to say, he welcomed the rest of us gladly. We were business to him. Until I asked him to teach us new moves.

"Wah er ew tahken 'bowt'choo crahzee lawss?" he asked a little irritably, wiping his greasy fingers on a rag in his apron pocket. He was recalling our last training session in which Nich had learned the Meteor Blast and had in fact _blasted _a hole in the side of his humble establishment. The Asian in question was shuffling around in the back of the group.

"I _mean_, Jo, that we are going off to defend this _world _and that a new range of attacks for us would be extremely _helpful_." I snarled, leaning on my hand with my elbow on the table. I was laying on the guilt extra-thick, and it seemed to be working. The Lilty was looking around me and counting us.

"I troost'choo gawts soom mownees?"

"That's my man!" I crowed and tossed down the whole bag of money I had onto the counter.

My friends' eyes were bugging out of their heads. All of our savings were being given to the tiny shop owner it seemed. And for what?

"Teach us everything you know." I said seriously to Jo.

My tone of voice killed quickly any sort of objection my friends may have had. I was serious. Deadly serious. From seemingly out of nowhere. Most of them knew me to be pretty much a dead-beat go-with-the-flow kind of girl; the type who would, under normal circumstances, shy away from any kind of training. Never would they imagine I actually instigate it. Not lately anyway. This came at them from out of nowhere. And it wasn't necessarily a bad thing…

* * *

First things first: upgrades! For armor, shields, and weapons.

In turn, Jo took one of us behind the curtains in the back and told us to demonstrate our swing and reach and general range of attacks without actually shooting off any dangerous chi. He tested our physical strength and mental strength as well; with riddles and the like. Tested our general knowledge of beasts to see which kind was our weak point and which ones we were strong against. It was a gruelingly long task, and one I hadn't anticipated. But it was worth it for the most part.

For me, after having most of my brain scooped out through Johavsven's puzzling questions and demands, the sword Excalibur was to be given. To get it, I had to part with a couple of the rarer items I had come across during my journey: Orochalcum and an Ancient Potion. Along with a less-important Alloy. I also handed over a Legendary Weapon scroll. It contained the method to forge my weapon. The Excalibur was going to be atleast three times stronger than the Rune Sword was. I was kind of sad to give my old friend back to the person who'd created it: we'd had such fond memories together. Johavsven had come to the conclusion that I was rather susceptible to Poison attacks and planned on creating the Blessed Mail. I gave him some Mythril and Holy Water so that he could do so. Along with the Pure Armor scroll that would tell him how to. Also to help me resist Poison moves was the Blue Misagna, for which I traded Blue Silk and a Needle. As well as the Blue Yarn scroll. I gave up my shield in favor of 'the best shield a warrior could hope to find' according to Johavsven. Called the Chocobo Shield. This all came to a grand total of 6000 Gil.

I was also soon to find that because most of us in the party – with the exception of Jakob, Geoffrey, and Gaia – weren't from this world, and as such, were not technically of any specific race, were able to use any sort of weapon or armor that would have otherwise been only available to the specified race. A true discovery indeed! And here, for this whole time, we'd been thinking only Clavatian things were going to be of use to us! The first to find out was Amy. She was going to trade her battered Treasured Sword for the Selkie Racket called Prism Bludgeon. Jo had also seen it fit to couple the Selkie weapon with a Selkie accessory. So that meant getting a Talisman of Wisdom. Also followed up with the Eternal Mail, Storm Sash and the Storm Shield. All were to help her resist Stasis.

Nich and Momo, being 'partners' and all of that were typically atypical, meaning that the things bestowed upon them countered each other exactly. Their properties anyway. Both were head-strong fighters that were going to undoubtedly not back down in a fight. So it was swords for the both of them: the Feather Saber for Momo and the Bastard Sword for Nich. Nich's weakness lay in Fire-based strikes, so his other things consisted of Flame Mail, Flame Shield, Flame Helm and Flame Armlets, and a Badge of the Flame. And since Blizzard is Fire's opposite, Momo got the Frost Mail, Frost Shield, Frost Sash, and Badge of the Frost. They seemed pleased.

Hanna was very much so compatible with the Yuke's type of weapon. Perhaps that was because she had a keen ability with the Magecite. And Yukes were supposedly really good with magic. It made sense really. Hanna got the Father's Hammer. Her weakness tended to be just close physical attacks, so any sort of armor and such would be good for her. Jo was going to give her the Crystal Mail, Rune Shield, Diamond Helm, and Elemental's Soul which was going to increase the amount of damage her Magic could do.

Jakob and Geoffrey were clearly hoping to differentiate themselves from now on. Both were getting upgrades from the old Defenders. The prince was going to be getting a two-pronged golden blade called Ragnarok and the bandit, Father's Sword. The rest of Jakob's things included the Time Mail, Saintly Shield, and Accurate Watch. Mostly to protect him from Slow. Geoffrey's were the Gold Mail, Diamond Shield, and Gold Necklace. To protect him from being affected by the magic Slow.

Gaia's defenses were surprisingly low, Johavsven found out. Said he more often than not, threw himself recklessly into battle without thinking about himself first. So he got the armor for Clavats that had the highest defense possible: the Gaia Plate. Which I slightly suspected Jo was going to have to come up with on his own, because he hadn't asked Gaia for a Scroll of any sort. He also was going to get the Chocobo Shield since it was the shield with the highest defense, and the Jade Bracer. His new blade was the Ultima Sword.

Sarah was one of those people who was both very adept at using Magecite and brute physical attacks. Like a Selkie. So, like Amy, she was going to be receiving a Selkie weapon. Called the Father's Maul. Her armor was fine like it was, so it was coupled with the Rune Shield, Winged Belt, and the Thief's Emblem.

By the time Johavsven had finished taking down his notes and recording our moves and such, the sun was falling. We had indeed spent a whole day in the cramped, crowded little work shop and hadn't taken a single bite to eat. Luckily, there had been a restroom Jo had allowed us to use in the back, but we were getting just slightly irritable. Gaia and Sarah were shooting daggers at each other, Geoff and Jake were standing in opposite corners of the shop, and even Hanna was constantly pushing up her glasses. With her middle finger. I knew I had to get us out of there, and fast.

"Hey Jo!" I called once he came out of the back with Sarah in tow. Sarah looked drained and zombie-like. The Lilty looked up at me while tapping a pen on the clipboard he had in his hands.

"Yes, Kahtee?"

"How long do you think this will take?" I asked.

"Hmm…abowt a mohnthh. Teew aht mahx."

My heart skipped a beat. There went two of the only twelve months Mackentosh said I was going to be having left before the end of the journey. So close.

"O…k…" I stuttered and turned away from the Lilty who was trying to catch my eye with a curious look in his. I just stood up straight and he had no chance of doing so. I gathered my friends and we left the shop without anything we had brought there. The trip back to Margaret's inn was fraught with worry for me.

* * *

It was all settled though, after everyone took a bath. But then they came to me, cloaked in their comfy bathrobes and still dripping wet and steaming, asking questions. About the journey. About where we were going. _And _about how long we had left. They were curious to know why I had seemed so unsettled by Jo's announcement of two months being the length of time required to forge all of our new stuff. And they were serious, I could tell. And even though I was a bit nervous telling them about the inane ability I had to speak with Mackentosh even though she was dead, I knew I was going to have to include that somewhere along the line. So I seated us around a large circular table so we could make eye-contact easy, and ordered a round of Bannock Bread from Margaret.

"So what is the problem Katie? You have seemed really anxious ever since the night of our return to Alfitaria." Jakob questioned me.

"Yeah! You sure aren't as chipper and cute as you normally are~!" Gaia chimed in, grinning at me.

"And why the sudden trip to Jo's shop today? How close are we to the _end_? Do you know?" Sarah's query hit the closest to home. I fixed everyone with a wry smile.

"We are indeed close to the finish line now you guys. Deadly close. You probably don't have any idea. But here…," I pulled out the map I had checked once myself, and flung the opposite end down the table where Hanna caught it and held one corner in place while Nich held the other end across from her. I stood up and leaned into the gap between Hanna and Sarah, placing my finger on Alfitaria. I then proceeded to trace my finger along the familiar trail we'd come back on; going through Veo lu Sluice, Rebena te Ra, Port Tipa, and Moschet Manor, the island. I halted in the sea. The others' eyes were on my finger, but soon saw for themselves that there were only few places left between us and the edge of the paper where we knew Conall Curach was going to lie. A place where no one had returned from…

"I…I don't think this is a bad thing, Katie." Hanna piped up from the edge of the table. We all whipped our heads toward her.

"What're you talking about you idiot?! Of _course _this is bad! We're so freaking close to fighting the KING!" Geoffrey crowed. Hanna hung her head.

"No, you fool. You may see this closeness as a disadvantage. Kind of like a ticking time bomb, but in reality, it could actually be a blessing in disguise. Imagine all the training we could get done! All the things we could learn. These areas…," Hanna traced her finger over Leuda Island and the Fields of Fum, "are nothing to be scared about--,"

Gaia interrupted her here, his face brightening, "—and the Fiends can only regenerate themselves every five years! So that means that there will be close to no monsters to fight at all. We'll have all sorts of free time…"

"During which we could hone our bodies to the utmost of speed and power!" Jakob finished happily.

I smiled at them. So they'd beaten me to the punch line. But I was glad to see that they pretty much figured out what I was going to plan on doing with them for however long it was going to take until we came to Conall Curach. Strange things…painful things. And while our weapons and shields were being created, I was going to strengthen our bodies first. An evil smirk appeared on my face and I backed away to return to my spot.

"Oh shit…we're going to have one helluva training schedule, aren't we?" Nich groaned

* * *

And right the Korean was.

Over the next few months, I pushed myself and my friends to their bodies' utmost limits. Almost every night, they went home aching and bleeding. And I didn't allow Hanna or Sarah to Cure them. They were going to feel the pain of this training. And get reminders from it.

One exercise I got approval from Roland from, was going to test their agility, dodging, and length of jump as well as their ability to tuck and roll…from rooftops. So you see, once I had gotten Nich and Momo to clean up their little love nest area, we used the ladder to go up onto the roof. It was a long way down. But, this was going to be an important exercise. I explained to them that I was going to be firing off chi blasts at them. Quickly and at random. I expected them to be able to jump across the gaps between each building and dodge my attacks using no attack unless it was solely physical, in return. Of course, nearly everyone accused my of being possessed by Mackentosh at this point, which I had previously explained I kind of was. I silenced them with an assault which sent them running and flinging themselves across the rooftops.

Needless to say, this caused all sorts of reports and complaints to be sent in to Roland who took it all in stride and put up notices that the whole town was going to be used as a training ground for the caravan Tsiknus. So that no matter what the people may see or hear – at _any _time of day or night – there was going to be nothing they could do about it. I found one of these fliers once and felt kind of terrible and kept the attacking practices to a minimum.

To test their balance, I made them run along the top of the barricade that ran all along the sides of the city. It was bout three feet across, but had a nearly one hundred foot drop on either side. It upped the pressure. And it worked. Surprisingly well, though it came with the side effect of, once they were back on solid ground again, they walked like tightrope walkers for a while.

And today, I decided to go easy on my friends.


	98. Capture the Flag

**Geoff**: You're also leaving out the part where Katie tried to hide under the table, And kept repeating to herself, "I am invisible. I am invisible. If I keep my eyes closed, I am INVISIBLE."

**Jake**: "Cowering," I think is the word that describes what she was doing.

**Geoff**: That's an advanced spelling word, isn't it? Very nice.

**Mackentosh**: Indeed. Who would have guessed that our sweet Katie, who one time _willingly _jumped into the wild boar pit at the zoo during feeding time to retrieve a child's balloon, would be so scared as to hide?

**Katie**: They were wildebeests. Their tusks are shorter. And I was just had to make sure he could find me if I hid under it. I didn't want it to be awkward for him. Then I realized my hiding would make me seem cowardly so I left it out entirely.

**Jake**: There's no danger of that, Precious. No one who saw you dancing on that table in your Kermit panties will soon forget who you are. That I promise.

**Geoff**: _snicker_

**Katie**: Sometimes, I really hate you guys.

* * *

"I want to play a game," I said darkly, steepling my fingers in a rather demonic manner and chuckling. Those from my world couldn't help but laugh at my stupid reference to the horrible Saw movies in which a psychotic man plays life-threatening games with victims he kidnaps.

"What kind of game?" Momo asked, feigning fright and shaking her tail.

"Capture the flag." I said.

"Yaaay, a game~!" Gaia chirped, clapping his hands in excitement. But then he stopped. "What's…capture the flag…?"

I slapped myself. "I woulda thought it was obvious, but for those of you who don't know," I turned to Jakob, Geoffrey, and Gaia, "it's where there are two teams. And each time has a flag that they have to go and hide from the other. You're supposed to find the opposing team's flag and bring it back to the starting point. That'll be this inn. You cannot change the location of the flag, it must be in plain sight, and that means you can't bury it or cover it with something, and if an opponent tags you, then you are 'captured' and taken to the other team's 'prison' which is a secret location. If your teammates find you _sitting down _– the universal posture of being caught – then they can tag you and set you free. But you cannot use any sort of chi attack. This game is going to be purely physical and test the traits we've been working on for a while now: speed, balance, dodging, and a new one, stealth. You're going to be hiding and paying close attention to the citizens of Alfitaria. You can ask them about the whereabouts of a member of the opposite team, like in what direction they may have gone, but you cannot ask them if they've seen the flag. Do you understand?"

The three guys in question nodded.

"All _right_! A competition!" Geoff shouted excitedly. He turned to face the prince who was his eternal rival. "I'm going to _crush _you!" he announced.

The prince remained cool and composed like he normally was, but spat out, "I shall not lose to the likes of **you**."

I jumped between the two of them before they could start blasting apart Margaret's inn where we were gathered. "Not now you two. Save all that energy for the game."

"Are you going to tell us the teams now?" Hanna asked.

"Yup. The first team is composed of Sarah, Jakob, Hanna, and Nich. The second team will be me, Momo, Gaia, Geoffrey, and Amy. You got that?" I said. They had pretty much divided themselves. I had tried splitting up the would-be couples and grouping people with others they might get along with. And with the exception of Gaia and Geoffrey, it worked out pretty well. I wanted Gaia separate from Sarah and for Geoff to fight against Jakob. "Margaret, do you have the flags?" I called out.

Margaret emerged from a back room carrying two rainbow colored bits of cloth with a white number one on one and a white number two on the other.

"Oh, no way in _hell _am I carrying _that _thing!" Geoff snorted in disgust. Gaia however, leapt forward at the waiting Clavatian woman who gave him the flag with a number one on it and the other to Sarah. Oh shit. Was competition starting already?

"Ok everyone! From here on out, it's _war_!" Geoff bellowed, jabbing at the group opposite us.

"Margaret's inn is the starting point. She'll be keeping look-out to see if a team is able to bring the flag back to the inn. Let's split up from here on in you guys. Decide where to put your flag and _do not move it_ because if one of us finds that you've changed the location of the flag from your first position, you get automatic disqualification and will have to walk naked through the streets as torment!" I announced. Everyone's faces paled dramatically. The other team bolted out the front door. I let them get a good head start before turning to my group and discussing possible flag-hiding spots. And for a while, Gaia was just twirling the little stick around colorguard-style, but then added his own two cents,

"Why don't we just put it behind the counter here?"

"Is that against the rules?" Momo asked, appearing rather keen on the idea.

I thought about it for a moment. Was it…? I couldn't recall it being so, and told the others that. They cheered. I explained to Margaret what we were going to do and placed the flag on the bottom shelf behind the counter where Margaret normally took change.

"All right team, let's _move _out!" I cried.

* * *

It was a heated battle of raging minds and fast-paced running. Constantly dodging and swerving to hide behind objects or people that were large enough to conceal us. At first, my group and I stuck together, safety in numbers and all of that, but the opposite team had apparently decided to do a nasty trick and set up a look-out very near to Margaret's inn's front door. So almost as soon as we got outside, Nich came bolting at us from out of nowhere and grabbed Amy who was dragged off shrieking and pissed. We scattered after that. Momo was lucky Amy had been between them, because I just _know _that Nich would've gone after her otherwise. And now I was alone, terrified and gasping for air.

_'This **is **extremely good exercise though!' _I thought positively as I crouched behind a cart full of cabbages. I had just escaped being captured by Sarah. I hadn't seen her because she was so short, but I could easily outrun her. I stood up after a moment of resting and peered around a corner of some building into the main street where people were running to and fro in their daily lives. They smiled at me and I waved. That's when I heard something fall and roll softly against the back of my heel. I whipped my head around fast enough to see Jakob sneering at me, bent into a position that showed he had tried catching the fallen vegetable from the cart.

"Unsuccessful, you loser!" I crowed, and bolted into the masses of people, the prince hot on my heels.

"You will never escape me Katie!" he promised, giving chase.

I ran as fast as I could go; dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging my way through Alfitaria's many streets and alleyways, once even leaping head-first through a stand selling jewelry and rolling with the pain out the other side. That gave me enough time to turn a corner and leap into an open window of an unoccupied home. I sat there, grasping my sweat-soaked shirt and tied not to breathe so loudly. I looked up in time to see a hand creep its way slowly over the edge.

"God dammit you stupid prince!" I cried breathlessly, and jumped up, running towards the door on the opposite side of the room. I waited for a moment; until I could feel his breath hot on me, then flung open the door, making it collide with his face and knocking him to the floor. I poked him in the side. "Captured, you sonuvabitch!" I chirped, and pulled him up. "It's off to prison with you!"

And I guided him to team one's prison which was the base of the Great Crystal. A little obvious, but we had to give the other team a little advantage since our hiding spot was so damn good. He was going to have Hanna keep him company while he waited. I wondered who caught her before blowing them both a kiss and dancing back into the streets to look for more victims.

* * *

I was stalking Nich whom I had found dawdling around Margaret's inn a little while ago. At first I was nervous, thinking he might have figured out the location of our flag, but that wasn't true. He just came out patting his stomach as if to show he'd gotten something to eat. I _hadn't _expected him to be joined by Gaia. Nich had a firm grip on the Clavat's upper arm and was dragging him away to their prison. I thought this was going to be the perfect opportunity to find that location, and followed them.

On several occasions, I had to let them get so far ahead I almost lost 'em because Nich would meet up with one of his other teammates or something. But I managed to see that their prison was Johavsven's shop with its door open, giving a clear view inside, showing Momo, Amy, Geoff, and now Gaia sitting with their knees pulled up to their chins. My mouth fell open.

Were my friends so weak?! Had my training been for nothing?! But on the flip side, it was rather humorous and funny and I shook my head. I waited for Nich to disappear into the distance before dashing into the shop and tagging everyone; setting them free.

"Thanks Kate!" Amy said gratefully. "I've been sitting in there since the beginning!"

I took everyone far away from Johavsven's store so we could regale each other with potentially helpful information we may have found out since we'd separated.

"I know where their flag is!" Geoffrey said when it came to his turn.

"WHAT?" I asked, dumbfounded. Maybe they weren't all that stupid after all.

"Yeah, yeah. I saw the short one, Sarah, taking it and sticking it into the ground behind the Great Crystal! I was following her and got caught by Hanna 'cause I wasn't paying attention."

"Urgh…I take it back…!" I groaned.

"Take _what _back?" the bandit asked me. I shrugged him off.

"Has anyone been snooping around the inn at all?" I demanded, sliding back into leader-mode.

Momo said that when she'd been scouting up on the rooftops, she'd seen Jakob and Hanna looking into the windows, but that they hadn't gone inside or anything. That was good sign.

"All right everyone. This is going to be our final assault. We know where their flag is! And do we _want _to run through town _naked_?!" I cried, raising a fist – and a bunch of eyebrows.

"Weeeell…" Gaia was stroking his chin thoughtfully and looking at Amy, Momo, and I. Simultaneously we all punched him, not noticing Geoff's slightly-red face.

"Now let's split up and meet at the Great Crystal in _ten minutes_!"

* * *

We met up in five. My team, which had in quick succession proven to be weak, really weak, super-strong, and then weak again, showed me that they were all a buncha bamfs. I was the last to meet everyone at the Great Crystal. It did not go unnoticed by any of us that Hanna and Jakob had been freed and were missing now. In any case, Gaia was twirling the flag in his hand when I leapt off the roof of the town square's building and landed at their feet.

"Let's go!" I shouted, and lead everyone on a mad dash back to Margaret's inn.

It was a victorious run filled with anticipation and happiness as we drew ever-nearer to our goal and didn't even catch a _glimpse _of the enemy. We soon discovered why when we all fell anime-style into a giant heap a couple of feet from the front door.

"I _told _you you would lose, did I not Katie?" the prince asked, smirking at me with our flag in his hand. His group was all around him, looking incredibly smug and triumphant.

"How the **hell** did you manage to beat us you bastard?!" I barked, infuriated.

"You just suck is all Katie. Sorry Morgan." Nich added.

"That's a load of crock! I'm still gonna kick your ass you pompous prince!" Geoff snarled and leapt at Jakob who, with his long arms, held Geoff's head in one hand as he swung futilely at him. Eventually the bandit gave up. "You're good."

"Now what was that about running naked through the streets, Katie…?" Sarah decided to remind me.

Oooh, fucking joy.

* * *

"I-I-I…h-hadn't been planning on…th-this I s-s-s-swear you guys!" my teeth were chattering insanely right now. That was probably due to the fact that Gaia, Momo, Geoffrey, Amy, and myself were huddled on the front stoop in the long towels that were otherwise to be used once you got out of the bath. Momo, Amy, and I had one draped over our shoulders and were shaking together while Gaia and Geoff – probably in a last-resort chance to prove their 'manliness' – just had one wrapped around their waists and were shirtless. Naked were we all beneath the towels as well. That whole having to 'run naked through the town at night' bet had been a totally random on-the-spot thing I'd come up with. I didn't actually think that they were going to make us _do _it!

My friends looked pissed.

A couple of the townsfolk were straggling and casting us extremely put-off looks. Like we were drug addicts or something.

"Y-you stupid…d-d-dumbass…!" Amy whimpered, shaking as a cold wind tore through the streets.

"Come on you guys. We made a bet and now we've gotta follow up on it, y'know!" Gaia pointed out, _oh_ so helpfully.

"He's right. We've gotta prove we ain't afraid of a challenge!" Geoffrey added, gripping his towel. He was gritting his teeth; 'though it was probably just because the others who'd won the game were grouped around the front windows of Margaret's inn and were peering out, laughing hysterically. The bandit's hands tightened further on his towel and the prince I saw leapt back from the window. But it was too late.

Geoffrey had ripped off his towel at the same time Gaia had and us girls passed out cold where we were. Jakob's rescue had come just a little too late.

* * *

After the two boys' rather **_EMBARRAS_****_SING _**'striptease' Jakob's hostility toward them increased tenfold. And for the longest time, Amy, Momo, and I couldn't bare to look at their faces, nor could the others. They would laugh, but us three were scarred.

I increased the training a lot after that.

And once the letter from Johavsven arrived telling us that all of our things were finished a couple of weeks later – at the end of our two-months notice – my drive returned as well. I was going to head out of this town as soon as possible. Mackentosh's warning was still ringing in my ears at this point, and I was not going to forget that now I only had about ten months left before it was all over.

We arrived at the shop almost immediately after I had read the letter. I whisked everyone away right away. I explained along the way what was up and what I was planning on doing. Meaning, we were going to leave as soon as we had mastered our work with these weapons and shields and armor and such. I didn't know how long that was going to take, but I was looking forward to it nonetheless. I could tell the others were as well because their eyes started shining when they heard our things were done.

"JOOOOOO!!!" I cried, kicking open the door to his store. I dashed inside and started waving frantically at the startled Liltian man behind the counter. He was clutching his heart and looking rather agitated that I had broken his door. He argued with me for a bit about it, but later took us all into the back part of his shop at once to show us his handiwork.

"Ah saii ish duh besht wurrk ah've eva duhn ef ah do shay sew mahshelf." Johavsven said, gesturing to a counter that held our array of goodies. I couldn't help but squeal in delight at the sight of all of our brand-spanking-new things. They sparkled and glimmered beautifully and I couldn't wait to put them on and start beating the shit out of enemies I may encounter. I bit on my knuckles to stifle the giggles coming out of my mouth.

"You're really starting to like this sort of thing aren't you Katie?" Nich asked me, smirking as he scratched the old scars on his forearms given to him by the Shangri-La Wolves. I nodded eagerly at his question, unable to form any other coherent sentence.

"Kom ohn den. Lutz get'choo sootuhd up den. Yer trahnen starts tuhdah." Jo said, pulling me forward first. He then proceeded to fit me with my armor and accessories; attaching a strap here or tightening some strings elsewhere. I was fidgeting nervously. When Jo slipped my new Excalibur into the sheath at my hip, I yelped with joy and whipped it out to look at its fiery golden tip. I moved out of the way to wait while the others got themselves ready.

* * *

**RAC: **Wooo! I'm so excited for this story to be done you guys! You have no clue. LoL. AND my anime convention is coming up soon! 48 days baby! I also have a new cosplay added to my arsenol: Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club! Yaay! _Review_?


	99. Upgraded Again!

**Amy**: I might. I wish I could figure out why you would throw away two broken Oreos. ((I did this the other day. ^^;; ))

**Katie**: Is that one of those Zen questions? Or are you - _owch!_

**Amy**: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Is that your sore heart?

**Katie**: No, it's the shoulder Geoff banged into a while ago. What are you doing?

**Amy**: You had something on your T-shirt.

**Katie**: Is it edible? PLEASE say it's edible.

**Amy**: It's just some purple fibers.

* * *

Right now we were all standing in the deserts surrounding Alfitaria, near the location of Justine and Bertrum's old hideout. We were in a line facing the smithie Johavsven as he paced in front of us tapping his temple. He had taken us out here so that he could show us new abilities we would be able to do now that we'd gotten new weapons. Our new attacks were going to be supremely powerful and we had to learn how to hone them so we wouldn't hurt ourselves or anything.

"Ya gotstoo undashtand dat yer each gohna half a differnt attahk 'cos o yer weapohns. Dey allowhs yoo ta perfohm diffent moves now."

"Awesome!" I cried.

"Naw. Kahteh, come on owt hee."

"Oh graaat. Kahteh's gonna kill ush _all_!" Lebal muttered darkly from his perch on Amy – the perpetual animal-lover's shoulder.

Before walking out to Jo, I turned and gave the Moogle a dark look. "Don't think I've forgotten about you my tasty little friend." And I smirked at him. He took off immediately for the safety of the nearest rooftop.

I was cackling as I strode out to meet my new trainer in the middle of our little area. He was going to teach me my sword Excalibur's new ability as well as a move that each one of us would have to master. I was excited. I swapped my blade from hand to hand in anticipation as I looked at Johavsven across from me. He clicked his tongue at my fidgeting so I stopped and stood looking intensively at my mentor.

"So what're you gonna teach me first Jo?" I asked.

"Ahm gowna tish ya za moov Peershing Schweep. Kay?"

As always, it was kind of hard to understand the Liltian man's speech so I took a guess that Excalibur's new attack was called the 'Piercing Sweep'. Sounded quick and strong. Which was something I was looking forward to learning.

"All right. Let's go old man!" I cried, taking a step back and landing in my battle pose.

"Ya shink ya kahn tok meh owne doo ya?" Jo's eyes lit up with joy as he withdrew a small sword he'd had concealed on his hip. In a flash, he disappeared from my sight.

"Where the fu--?!" My cry of alarm was exchanged with one of agony as something with the force of a speeding train slammed into the right side of my knee causing my legs to buckle and throb. For a moment everything went white. And when I tried bringing myself back up, a sharp sword was at my throat. I could feel a trickle of blood slide over the scars on my neck made by Bertrum and shivered. I looked into Jo's eyes as he stood over me, gloatingly. "Whatever. You win Jo." I snapped, swiping away his blade and reaching for my own.

"Wow. You suck Katie." Sarah said bluntly from the sidelines. I shot her a glare and noticed that several other of my friends were struggling to hide their laughter. What a way to go down! I jumped up and dusted myself.

"Was that the Piercing Sweep?" I asked, wincing as I put weight on my right leg.

"Owbvishlee Kahteh. Ze kih to da mowv is shpeed. Ya gotch ta bi sho fasht zat yowr ohpownent kahnt shee ya. Zen ya kahn tahk 'em down wiv zis moov lowng enuff ta kill 'em."

If this attack was able to take me down so quickly, it was going to help my arsenal a great deal. I could already see myself zipping around, invisible to the naked eye, as I swiftly killed my opponents. Quiet and deadly. Like a ninja. This was gonna rock!

"What do I have to do?"

"Roon."

"Eh?" I was kinda confused. Was he telling me to run?

"I shed _roon _Kahteh. Dis _ish _a shpeed mowv. Ya gotch ta be _fasht_."

"Are you kidding me?!" I snarled, sheathing my Excalibur with a _snap_.

"Yesh dammit!"

So with a sigh, I began to run.

* * *

We spent the next month on specializing our new moves and perfecting them. I was forced to run laps every day for several hours and soon enough I could start seeing the results of this torture. As well as my legs tightening up and getting a trimmer waist, I became amazingly fast. I was spurred on also by the fact that immediately after my endurance runs I had to duel Johavsven and had lost for the first two weeks. And when I did, I had to keep running. In races held by all of us, I always came in first by a mile, leaving everyone else in my dust. Soon enough, I was able to run twenty miles in three hours and not even break a sweat. This might sound impossible, but it's not. After all this, I became well-adept at the Piercing Sweep. It was a super-effective as I realized once I could perform it well enough. My Lilty mentor seemed proud.

Amy was another one of us to receive some intense running training. Her Prism Bludgeon's move was the Stampede and required the ability to leap through the air and kick an enemy with agility and strength. So her legs needed to be powered up. Nich was, rather humorously, taught the move Avalanche. His previous signature move was the Meteor Blast and was known for its destructive power that was usually followed by the collapsing of whatever room it was performed in. And this new move used the Blizzard Magecite to summon a freezing maelstrom of snow that buried a foe in an iceberg-sized…well…avalanche. Momo quickly mastered Bash which was a move where she got into close-range with a rival and used both her dagger and sword to literally bash him to death.

Hanna's skill with the Magecite aided her in her training. The Father's Hammer allowed her to quickly learn the Magic Bomb. It was pretty cool to see how Jo took Hanna back to his shop to show her how he was going to add several slots to her weapon. These were to be filled with any sort of combination of Magecite and fused together to create a destructive force with all the powers combined. Prince Jakob's bad-ass two-pronged blade gave him the power to perform the Cyclone Slash. Jake was now able to control the air around him and shoot it off like bullets towards enemies. He started out abusing his powers by chasing Geoffrey around and around in the desert creating whirlwinds. This was quickly stopped by all of us once one of these tornadoes swept all of us into its power.

After the afore-mentioned accident, Geoff was focused all-too-well on perfecting his own attack. I watched him intently during this time period when I thought he was going to train super-hard so he could get back at the prince, but was glad once I saw the revenge glow in his eyes change to one of pure bliss as he worked his body to the max. The Pulse Thrust required both a dagger and his Father's Sword to do an intricate sort of dance. The air cut by the razor blades would leave a glowing sort of line behind. And once it was finished would launch a blast of air that when you looked at it shot off like a ripple in the water. Or a pulse. Next to find out his new ability was Gaia. Who turned out to be the strongest out of all of us, despite his goofiness and the way his eyes tended to drift towards my ass as I ran by. Or so the others told me. The Ultima Sword had the most intimidating aura by far. It was an enormous thing whose blade glittered silver beams when hit by the sun just right. The golden hilt was super-thick and – as Johavsven had told us – was supposed to be held with two hands because of the danger to the wrists. The danger was due to its weight.

Gaia surprised us all with his holding of it with one hand.

His strength granted him the move Bladestorm. This was easily the most difficult of attacks. For anyone. Gaia had to whip the Ultima Sword through the air fast enough to stir up a smokescreen of dust to last. Then he was to thrust his blade into the dirt and leap into the air, cutting through the dirt as he neared the ground. The purpose of this was to startle his opponent with his sudden appearance. The surprise attack seemed effective enough to Jo as he was the guinea pig for most of the Clavat's training. The rest of us became rather terrified of our friend's new power. Sarah was not to be outdone by him though.

She had now officially taken on Gaia as her rival and did all of his training as well as her own. A lot of her nights were spent on the practice and little else. She ate, slept, and breathed this new way of doing things. Her Power Bomb used the wide end of her Father's Maul racket to smash into her adversary like a baseball bat, but with far more deadly power of course. Its intentional use was to be similar to that of a hammer. Meaning that she was supposed to beat her opponent into the ground like a nail from above. But her nights of training showed that she was now also able to swing into enemies from the side and send them flying off into the sunset like a baseball. She showed us this one day by finding the biggest tree left standing in the desert and sending it off over the entrance/exit of Selapation Cave.

"The tree huggers are flying off agaaaain…!" I couldn't help but whisper under my breath after this display.

* * *

And so another month was spent perfecting our skills so that we became amazing masters at our craft. The town of Alfitaria was in awe of us and what we did out in the sandy deserts day in and day out. We were the celebrities of the big city. Everyone knew who we were and thus came out to line the streets on the afore-mentioned date of our leaving. We emerged from Margaret's Inn glistening like gods in our new armor and accessories, feeling like we were on top of the world. Our strength raised our hopes in defeating the king of Conall Curach. They helped us believe that we were invincible. And although I wasn't quite sure whether or not this was a good thing, I was happy with the mellow atmosphere it brought.

Our packs were loaded down with food and emergency rations and cooking utensils. The added weight was nothing though. We marched through the streets with our chins held high this time and it was unimaginably different from our last departure where we'd felt like thieves stealing into the night. The people here shouted out our names and encouragement when they saw us and reached out to touch us. I gave everyone a large smile once the back gate came into view. I knew that once we left through it that some of us may not come back alive, and I couldn't let that fear show. I punched the air with the fist not holding the Chalice as we made our way through.

The gates closed smartly after Hanna, who was at the back of our group, and with it, all sounds were cut off, blocking us from civilization. All that lay before us were rolling hills, forests, and lands that we had to traverse before our long journey finally came to an end. My heart throbbed at the prospect.

"Let's get the map out here you guys. So we know where exactly we're supposed to go." I said.

It seemed like a good enough idea to the others, so we walked over to a broad stone on the side of the road and spread out the massive map. We started at Alfitaria and traced our eyes over the path we had taken previously, feeling confident that following it would let us go faster than if we went through unknown territory. So. After Moschet Manor, we had to go to the island of Selkies called Leuda Village. Sol Racht had written on the map 'keep your $ close' so I assumed that thieves were going to be a problem.

"Not that surprising seeing's how Selkies are known for such escapades." Nich said nonchalantly. I wasn't sure if he had just said something racist.

After Leuda, it was a popular country location called the Fields of Fum. Inhabited mostly by Clavats, Gaia seemed the most keen about going there. Upon further questioning, he revealed that the Fields of Fum was where he was born. I saw that this place was the last on the map close to the edge of the paper where Conall Curach was. Only two more places left to go. And they were peaceful little villages. This last leg of the journey was going to be a happy one.

* * *

Or not.

Once we got back into the grip of the gloopy, green, slimy grip of Veo lu Sluice, we were hit hard and fast by Monster after Monster. It was a relentless barrage of attacks and powers of creatures that we had never encountered. Once we either defeated the hordes or got away alive, Lebal quickly filled us in.

"There's knot shposed ta beh eneh monshtas heeya. Ya dufeeted dem sho it'sh shposed ta take a year or sho for dem to regenerate…" He said once.

"Well that's obviously _wrong _ya stupid furball!" Geoff snapped irritably.

This comment put the Moogle and bandit on non-speaking terms.

After this, we beat our way through every location up to Port Tipa which we entered looking haggard and staved like last time thanks to the suspicious level of Monsters in the areas we had previously cleansed. Our food supplies were almost gone due to the fact that we faced death in nearly every battle and had to energize ourselves with the stuff.

Immediately, I made my way towards the bread shop that had so kindly supplied us with free Bannock last time we had been there. I pushed open the door, causing a bell to chime. Sitting at one of the tables were a couple of customers who looked familiar from the stay we'd had in Nyl's inn. I strode up to the owner of the shop smiling. He walked into the back room and emerged with two huge bags of steaming bread which he handed over to me for free.

Such a lovely man!

I met my friends back on the streets with some Bannock already in my mouth. We decided to start towards the town's inn since we were eager to meet back up with our beautiful Clavatian hostess here. I saw from the corner of my eye, curtains swing closed with a flourish.

A cabbage with a candle sticking out of it was in the window sill.

"So he's still around here eh?" I asked after swallowing a mouthful of bread.

It was a rhetorical question, so no one answered me as we moved onward towards Nyl's inn.

Gaia was at the front of the ranks, with Sarah right behind, arms crossed. After an intense door-banging, it swung open and showed us a long line of beautiful Clavatian people. They hadn't changed much, unless you counted the tightness of the girls' shirts across their fuller chests. Or the larger muscles on the guys. And the length of their hair. All of them had long blond hair that curled slightly on the ends. Immediately, huge grins split the face of each beauty as recognition dawned on their faces.

It was nice to be remembered.

"Oh Gaia~!" Nyl's daughters all squealed, flinging themselves upon him in huge embraces. I couldn't tell from here, but my guess was that Gaia was hugging them tightly back. And enjoying the way their large breasts pressed themselves against him. I could see his arms moving up and down and the way Nyl's eyebrows rose steadily higher in disapproval. I myself wondered when he found the time to hook up with these girls when we had only been here one night or so and had stayed together until the wee hours of the morning.

Sarah cleared her throat loudly, being the one who felt it was necessary to break the awkward air forming rapidly around us. Gaia broke apart the little group with a blush creeping up his cheeks. I saw that as he backed away, his hands dangled discreetly in front of his pants.

Slut.

"Well!" Nyl said gladly, looking down at all of us below her. "Glad to see you're all still alive! Come in. Come in. We really do have to catch up now that you're back."


	100. Night Raid

**Amy**: Once I caught her flipping between _Dr. Phil _and _The History of New York Gangsters _at the same time. It was like no bad TV could satisfy her. I think Katie may be a bad TV hussy.

**Katie**: Call me what you will, Amy. I interest myself in our modern culture, that is true. You can learn a lot from those shows. There is more human dramas and paternity tests in one episode of _Dr. Phil _than-

**Nich**: Hey, you guys. What are you doing down here?

**Katie**: We're working on an escape plan.

**Nich**: For real?

**Amy**: Shh. Not so loud. Top Secret.

**Nich**: I knew you'd be up to something cool. Can I be part of it? I want to help.

**Katie**: Do you have any special skills we should take into account when formulating our attack?

**Nich**: Well, I'm really good at macramé. You know, things with knots. If that helps.

**Hanna**: It does. We'll definitely include some knots in our plan.

* * *

We followed the woman into the front room of the inn where we removed our shoes and stepped up onto the ledge that led to the main entrance. Nyl held open the door for us while her children and ourselves filed into the room. The Chalice was tucked beneath my arm while Lebal flitted away towards the bar, being free from his duties as carrier. The place was bustling like usual and Eitak, Yma, Anitsirhc, Haras, and Teragram dispersed to tend to their duties. I could tell Nyl was happy to see us again, because there was a slight bounce to her step while she took us to an empty table.

By the time we were all seated, I could hear whispers being exchanged fiercely throughout the room. It made me smile to know that we weren't forgotten here in this town on the edge of the continent. I slid the Chalice beneath the table and folded my hands on top, waiting for Nyl to start her questions.

"So. How was the journey?" She asked, leaning forward and murmuring further queries.

So I set forth to tell her about all that we'd seen and accomplished. About the lavish party we'd attended back in Alfitaria and the near-death experiences. Once more, I found myself getting into the role of story-teller and using big hand gestures to describe the monstrous Boss at Moschet Manor and the Tonberry Chefs. I hardly realized that the other people in the place were grouping around me, calling out the caravan's name in recognition. It was once again a crazy night full of meeting old friends and greeting them after so long. It was nice to be appreciated after almost dieing in the wilderness before.

We sat at the tables for a good long time after everyone else left the building for the night, wishing Nyl and her kids a wonderful night. After the dead bolt had slid into place, they all took seats at the table again. When they were all lined up across from me, I was struck by how similar they looked. Like clones. It was weird. I didn't remember them being that close. I shook the bad thoughts creeping into my head and started up another conversation.

"So Nyl. Has anything changed since we've been here last?"

An expression of unease flashed across her face, not going unnoticed by any of us who perked our ears in anticipation of bad news.

"W-well…For a while now, ever since you left us this last time…We've been getting threatening letters…" And here Nyl reached into the fold of her shirt and took out a small bundle of parchment which she threw towards me across the table. I snatched it up and divided them amongst ourselves, each getting a letter to review. Once I got it open, my mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"The king of Conall Kurach has been saying he's going to attack you?!" I shrieked. A hand clamped itself over my mouth after this. It was Amy who threw me a scathing look as she released me.

"Kate! Seriously!! _Think _before you cry something out so stupid. Can't you tell that the people of this town know nothing of the possible raid?!"

The thought of such a peaceful place being overrun by the king's unfathomable armies set me on edge. I could feel my skin crawling beneath the clothes I had on. "Nyl. Does Port Tipa have a battle reserve?" I heard Jakob asked.

Such a smart question. I should've been asking them that. Since I was the leader. But I was too scared by the possibility that we could be attacked at any moment. "It says in my letter that the next time Caravan Tsiknus stops by and he finds out, that they'll start making their way towards us." The prince said. Great. So it was once again we were bringing death and destruction upon a town that didn't do anything to deserve it.

"Oh! Very much so! We are a strong people. Many of us are battle-hardened Lilties that have seen many such wars and fights."

The comment reassured me somewhat. So we wouldn't be the only ones defending Port Tipa from an onslaught of Monsters.

"Ok…I think this may work…" Jake was muttering, putting his chin in his hand. "The water is going to have to be the way that the forces will come from. So look-outs should be posted day and night. Ready to announce when they arrive. And battalions need to be stationed around the city at secure points. An evacuation plan needs to be evaluated…"

"Haha. Such is the thought process of a prince!" Nich chuckled, ruffling his hair with his own hands. A smooth comment from one who didn't seem to shaken. Indeed. Everyone but me seemed cooly unconcerned with the state of things. I mean. We were here. And there were quick ways to send messages with magic. And we were being charged with the protection of a whole populace of people that could be wiped off the face of the earth if we failed.

Time to make some tactics.

* * *

We spent the next couple of weeks going over how we were going to react in the case of a sudden attack by enemy forces.

It was decided that sentries were going to stay at the Jegon River perimeter at all hours of the day. Giant gongs were erected in towers that were built to announce that something was seen. They would then proceed to head into town and take up positions with their given unit of attack. After much scouring in the surrounding hills, a sort of cave was discovered. It lead all the way through the hills and came to an open rolling valley in which there was a large pool of water and hidden alcoves in rocky walls that could hide citizens too weak to defend the town. Supplies were already stashed inside several of these cracks. Women and children and the elderly had been told about the place in case one of us in the caravan became unable to lead them through the dark passage. And before all of this was over, a well-laid wall of stone was built around the entire city.

Before all of the preparation had begun, a town meeting was called. It was mandatory and everyone showed up. It was here that they were all notified of the dire state of emergency they were in. Chaos erupted as half of the populace seemed to blame Caravan Tsiknus for bringing this doom upon them. The other half seemed too petrified to be able to feel much of anything. A lot of talking was required to calm them down and to clarify that the situation was being handled. It went over well enough and led us to the point where we were now.

Which was a night gathered in the inn, totally armored up with Nyl and her kids. It surprised me quite a bit that they all could fight, as we found out when we spent time going around and sparring with those townsfolk who said they would defend Port Tipa. They were quite strong. Upon further questioning, they just said something about their father and no more. They showed us a room that they said even they hadn't entered in many a year. It was their armory. And inside was enough stuff to fully equip each and every child. A surprise.

Right now we were gathered loosely in the main room, pacing uncomfortably. We were already ready for a raid because one of the fishing boats had come back from a long trip and told us that it had seen ships with the black and red insignia of the king on them.

My heart was getting ready to explode out of my chest with fear. We didn't know for sure when the enemy was going to get there and the uncertainty scared me more than almost anything. I now had three whole cities depending on my courage and abilities. The pressure seemed to mount with every step I took around the room, my shin guards _clunking_. I had my hands clasped behind my back as I marched. Excalibur had been recently sharpened and I could practically hear it screaming out for blood of the adversary.

Needless to say, we all jumped a mile into the sky when the first gong sounded outside. A door was flung open and a Lilty man known as Zano dashed into the room looking frantic.

"Young masters! We've got trouble! It…It's a night raid! By the king!! He's coming by land!!"

"Shit! This wasn't supposed to happen!" I cried angrily, instantly breaking out of my petrified reverie. Cold defiance slid into its place and I took up my mantle as leader. I lead the charge out of the gate and told Zano to gather the troops staged around the backside of the town and turn them the other direction. We would go to our respective ones and take them to the front lines.

By the time this was all done, me had people standing on the rooftops of buildings since our towers being near the port were doing us no good.

"What makes you think they came by land?" I heard one soldier ask another. I turned to him.

"It was obviously a decoy ship that the king sent to us to make us think that the sea would be how they would arrive. And now they are so close. It's terrifying. You must stand strong men! Do not break in the face of danger." I told him, clapping his shoulder. And I turned my attention back toward the ever-growing dust cloud that the king's armies were making as they advanced on us. I couldn't see the hearts that sprung into the man's eyes then.

From this distance I could just begin to see the outline of large elephantine-like horses as they pulled huge chariots behind them loaded with creatures of the darkness. Intent on killing the people of this town. Their glowing blood-red eyes and frothing mouths showed that they were hardly in control of their minds. But they were huge. And had monstrous weapons. And they were coming towards us faster all the while. All at once it seemed, they started pulling out bows and arrows and casting Firaga on them all so that burning attacks fell among us and the town, striking up powerful flames in the dried up houses around us.

This did nothing to panic Sarah who was in the unit next to me and was countering the flames with Waterga. She had distributed a lot of the Magecite to her people and they were helping to put out the fires. A little further down the line, I could make out Geoff's cries as he was nearer to the Great Crystal then anyone else.

"They're shooting flaming arrows! Protect the stronghold!"

It was in this most pivotal moment that I was spun around by my shoulder and grabbed in a hug so tight and fierce I almost died. I looked up to see Jakob glancing quickly between the advancing forces and me. His eyes were practically on fire with their ferociousness. He said to me, in a voice so gentle, it almost stopped me from getting mad. "I want you to help the women and children evacuate Katie."

It took a moment for his words to register. But when they did, I thrust the prince from me, angry that he should think me so weak I could not fight. I told him thus.

"I am not a little lady anymore Jakob! I am strong enough to fight here! And to defend the people of Port Tipa! I _love _this place Jake! Let me prove it!"

I made the mistake of looking into the prince's burning eyes. And for the first time that I could remember, he looked truly angry with me.

"Katie! This is _not _a question! You _are _going to leave the city and guide these people that you say you love to safety. You speak so strongly of wanting to fight for this town. Know that taking its most precious components to safety is the most important thing a soldier can do."

His words struck me dumb. He had a good point. And although I hated to admit it, the women and children of Port Tipa were going to have to be the ones to keep it alive if we should fall here. I hung my head. Jake then called forward Amy and Hanna who appeared from behind him. "I entrust her safety to you two."

"I'll protect Kate!!" Amy said strongly, clasping her unsheathed and shining sword.

"I'll help." Hanna added. "Now. This way Katie." And Hanna took my hand and started sprinting at full-speed. I looked over my shoulder at Jakob who seemed to have taken up charge of my people. I saw his mouth moving, trying to tell me something, but I couldn't catch it and was lead away.

Soon enough, I could hear loud _bangs _reaching us as battalions of Monsters took up largely carved wooden tree trunks and were trying to break through the wall with sheer force. Dust was raining down on all of us as well as smoke from the buildings that were still slowly burning. Also, upon asking a nearby sentry how things were going for him, he threw a burning blast of chi downward, saying that the enemy was flinging up ladders and trying to mount the wall. Not good. Several of these explosions were rocketing the walls keeping the evil creatures at bay and I knew it was only a matter of time before it fell.

Of course it had to be just then that a section of wall was destroyed and Monsters poured into the city, instantly making for the troop that lay in wait for it. It was Nich's. And he looked pissed all to hell that he had to fight first.

Amy, Hanna, and I all ducked inside a building and opened its back window to watch the fight as Nich's soldiers took aim with deadly sharp arrows and fired upon the creatures.

"You're not getting past us!" I heard Nich scream, launching bullet-like chi blasts into their unformed ranks. He was doing a great deal of damage. But these fiends seemed to have learned something that would aid them a great deal.

Chi attacks of their own.

It was unprecedented. The Monsters weren't supposed to be able to concoct such powers. And to be so strong. Nich's troop soon found itself in danger as attacks nearly as strong as its own started firing themselves back towards them. Soldiers started falling left and right and we took this moment to make a run for it, nearly having to drag a screaming Hanna away.

"Hanna_!_ You've **got **to pull yourself together dammit…!" I grunted, tugging on her arm as she collapsed in plain sight of the battle waging on the other side of the house we'd just left.

"I…can't stand up!" She moaned.

The sound of an impending attack alerted me. I made a vain attempt to pull Hanna to her feet and managed to do so just in time for it to blast right through her.

She collapsed against me. I could feel her warm blood staining the clothes I had on beneath the armor. I looked up to Amy for help, but the hopeless look she had on her face told me that she had nothing that may have helped her. And Sarah was all the way back on the front lines. I gently laid Hanna on the dirt road and screamed her name. I ripped off a strip of cloth from my pant leg and held it against my friend's bleeding chest.

"Kate! We have to _move_!" Amy bellowed. She had to turn away to leap up and slash the throat of a Lizard Skirmisher as it advanced upon us. Soon enough, others would do the same. Our position was not very good.

"Ka…tie…"

Hanna's soft calling of my name scared me. Her voice was so weak.

"I'm…sorry I slowed you…down…"

"No! Hanna!" I shrieked. "You're going to make it! You're going to live a happy life!!"

"Ka…tie…"

After this, I wasn't able to get anything more out of Hanna. Her eyes glazed over and the grip I had on her hand slackened.

"Hanna …? HANNA!!!"

"Katie! Behind you!" Amy warned. I saw her running towards me through my tears. But I couldn't drag my eyes away from the frail little thing in front of me. I felt a tug on my collar and more blood spray on me as another enemy's life was extinguished.

"What do you think you are doing Katie?! I have had to have Gaia lead the women out of the town because you were taking too long!"

I looked dizzyingly up at him. As if he weren't real.

"Hanna…she was so scared…and I tried…" I found words wouldn't come from my lips as tears tumbled down. Jake's eyes scrunched together before he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to my feet.

"You have got to stay alive if you wish to do something about her death!!" The prince told me, leading me swiftly through the falling town. I struggled, trying vainly to get back to her.

"Hanna! Hannaaaaa!!"

Jake took me and Amy into his arms and dashed away, leaving far behind Hanna's unceremoniously dead body. I bawled while Amy kept more composure. But I could tell she was shaken. Even more so when we came upon the body of a small Selkie child, so beautiful, even in death.

"How **_could _**they?" Amy snarled, gritting her teeth with hatred. She pushed Jakob away and took off through the smoke, leaving us behind.

"Come back Amy!" Jake tried yelling. But it was no use. She was soon lost in the swirling gray clouds.

"We cannot be caught…!"

The prince's fervent comment served as a fire starter to his run towards the one hole left open in the back of the wall which was the one leading towards the hills. We ran through. Luckily this was near the shore where no enemies were. We managed to snake our way towards the beach and ran through the water so we wouldn't leave any tracks. But we came across someone totally unexpected.

* * *

**RAC: **Woohoo! CHAPTER 100!!! =D How cool. The story's rapidly coming to a close. We're heading for an awesome ending. Stick with me for a while longer, please. Also, since I'm 3 weeks behind on updates, I'm posting the 9 regulated chapters that would have gone up anyway. Enjoy!


	101. Leuda, Home of the Selkie

**Jakob**: I can't believe she really switched sides. I thought that was just in the movies.

**Sarah**: I guess the authoress decided to really fuck up our world. I wonder how many each of us will have this happen to us. Do you think it's better to die fast or slow?

**Jakob**: I think it's better not to think about it at all. Didn't Katie say she had a plan?

**Sarah**: She also said I was filet mignon.

**Nich**: Did you say there was a plan? What should I do?

**Sarah**: If you see any opportunities at all to macramé anything, take them. TAKE THEM.

**Jakob**: We'll be counting on you.

**Nich**: OK, what knot do you think I should do? Sarah? Jake? Wait up! Wait for me!

* * *

It was Nyl. And she had at some point during the fight donned the colors of the enemy.

"Nyltiak…!" Jake said disbelievingly. "What…is the meaning of this?"

For a moment, the only sounds to be heard were that of the sea ebbing in and out and the distant sounds of battle. I too looked into the face of the woman who had given us shelter. It seemed pained.

"I…was recruited by the king almost as soon as you guys left the town on your way back to Alfitaria. He said that if I did not join him in the fight against you that he would destroy my town. But now I too see that it was all a lie. You said you would protect us. And yet you are bringing all this destruction upon us! And although I owe you a great deal and am not particularly fond of you anymore, I would never try and harm you in any way…"

The inn keeper's little speech was cut short and Jake thrust himself from me and flung himself towards the woman with blackness clouding his face.

"Nyltiak! Prepare yourself!!" he cried and slashed down towards her neck. The Clavatian woman raised her arm to defend herself and blocked the attack on her arm guard. "How dare…you say we are the cause for this battle…!!"

Nyl's eyes were in agony. She was clearly regretting what she had done all those months ago. A tear streaked down her beautiful face.

"Please…you must escape. Tipa will fall shortly. I…have said the back is unguarded." And a hidden knife was brought to the prince's throat. His eyes widened in shock.

But her words proved true as sounds of alarm reached our ears as Monsters discovered our position. Jakob abandoned the woman and scooped me into his arms before disappearing down the shore.

We soon found the entrance of the cave that would lead us towards the valley, but the prince dropped me. "Get inside there and tell the others to stay for atleast three days."

"But what about you? I don't want to leave you behind!" I cried, knowing that he was wanting to leave me to give the people waiting on the other side news of the fight.

"I need to go and fight." was his simple answer.

"No! Come with me!" I begged. It was pathetic. The way I was just now realizing the way I felt about him. And at such a crucial moment.

"I have an obligation to protect this land. To prove to its people that it means just as much to me as the capitol."

"Then I'll fight with you! I love this land too!"

Jakob's face turned angry again. He gripped my hands really hard as he told me he wanted me to live through this. That he wanted me to be happy. And that he loved me. He pressed me against the cliff as he thrust himself on me and kissed me heatedly. It seemed like a goodbye. And soon enough it was over. And I was being shoved through the tiny entrance into darkness. A Fire Magecite was tossed after and then I was alone. The blackness enveloping me seemed a metaphor for my life. I was by myself and couldn't see anything. The shining moon that had been seen before had taken its light from the land and showed me nothing. I groped blindly for the Fire Magecite before swallowing it and following the path towards the valley.

As I moved along, faint sounds of chariot wheels on sand reached my ears and I prayed that they wouldn't find me. Or the women and children whose charge was now under my jurisdiction.

_'Please. Don't let anything bad happen to Jakob…' _I thought.

* * *

It took only a short while for me to make my way under the sky once more and I found myself looking down upon the people who would have to remake Port Tipa. I stood up there, gazing down on all of them whose faces showed nothing but fear for those they had to leave and those they loved. Then my vision started blurring with tears and I fell to my knees as Gaia recognized my wavering form on the bluff. He took off for me, looking more terrified than I had ever seen him. He took me in his arms as I couldn't hold myself up anymore and cried the prince's name. Hoping he wouldn't be lost forever in the darkness.

So we stayed for the three days Jake told us to before Gaia and myself ventured back through the tunnel to see how we had fared against the enemy forces. During those days, the sky had been clouded with thick black smoke tinted red and we feared the worst. We emerged on the beach to a scene of utter carnage.

The fight had leaked onto the beach as Nyl had said it would. My face flooded of all emotion but shock as I stared across the field of corpses littering the beach already bloated by the water that washed over them, staining the water with their blood. Several of the twisted horses lay with their masters, legs bent and necks broken at odd angles with puncture wounds all over. My heart was racing in my chest.

"Is everybody…dead…?" Gaia muttered softly, placing a gentle arm across my shoulders. And for once I let him touch me. It had zero meaning of wanting to molest me and all of wanting to comfort me.

I took a zombie-like step forward and called Jakob's name.

"Jakob!!" I cried, and took off for the quietly burning town.

I managed to make my way to the Great Crystal before I collapsed in the wreckage. Knowing that it still stood and that Geoffrey had been the one responsible for it brought back to me the fact that I could very well have lost everyone I'd ever loved in this fight. I pounded the dirt and cried and cried. Until I heard a rustling sound in a building that had fallen nearby. I whipped my head toward the sound but made no move to defend myself. If I was able to die, it would simply make it that much faster so I could see my friends again.

It was a tiny moan of pain that emerged from the burning wood. Human. And recognizable enough to make me launch myself across the sea of dead towards it. I began digging furiously and grasped a rough rugged hand. I tugged and Geoff emerged, covered in soot and blood, landing roughly in my lap. And my kisses.

I rained them down upon my sham of a friend as much as he may not have wanted them. I grasped him to me and wouldn't let go. I called for Gaia to hurry. To come and see who I had found. And when he did manage to uncover my location, he ran like there was no tomorrow and threw himself at the bandit's side and fed him Potions until he was strong enough to stand.

"Do you know if anyone…else is all right?" he asked the both of us.

I shook my head and told him of Hanna's last moments. His expression darkened dangerously, but he took my hand as we began a search for any other possible survivors. We came across Hanna's body lying burnt and nearly unrecognizable if it weren't for the glasses and I fell by it.

"I'm sorry…If I had been stronger…this would never have happened…I'm so sorry Hanna…"

After we said our final goodbyes, we continued on, finding that all the others were alive and well, even if only just. When I found Amy, relief flooded my body that was so great. But guilt followed it once Jakob was discovered and I flung myself into his arms, sobbing like a pathetic child, knowing fully well that Amy was still in love with him.

* * *

It took about a week for us to break the news to the remaining survivors of Port Tipa that their civilization had been destroyed. And that they needed to move on. Make a journey for another large town that would take them in, and that they may eventually be able to take it upon themselves to rebuild their hometown. Of course devastation played a major part, as well as disbelief until we showed them just what remained of their homes. We took this time to scavenge for enough supplies for the folks to start without us on their trip for Alfitaria, it being the closest town. It hadn't yet been a year so there would be no danger for them. Also during this time, we had managed to salvage ourselves a boat from the dock and a charred map. Lebal's body was never recovered, but Gaia had kept the Chalice with him and the women so it was safe. We had our fighting supplies and food stock loaded onto the ship along with ourselves and waved goodbyes to the townsfolk who were quickly disappearing over the horizon.

Luckily, Jakob was very adept at steering a ship, and we soon found ourselves far out to sea, rocking with the gentle waves, often hearing the sound of Geoffrey's feet as he made a mad dash for the side of said ship to hurl. It became routine to wake up to an empty stomach and empty faces until it seemed to finally dawn on us that Hanna and everyone else in this world were counting on us. And that if they could see us all now; broken faces and hollow lives, they wouldn't want to place their faith in us anymore. They would simply see broken weak people that couldn't bounce back from such an event. And I for one, was not going to let this get me down anymore.

At one point, I tore off a useless corner of parchment from the map and folded a paper boat out of it. I cradled it in my palms and whispered all of my darkest fears into it, hoping that the little ship would take away all my pains so I could start over new. I proceeded to go around and convince the others to do the same as it seemed like a good idea. They complied and one night we all grouped together on the deck and dropped it into the sea. It bobbed in place on the waves for a moment before getting caught in the wind and drifting off. Indeed, it seemed to have worked for us. The heavy atmosphere that hung over the caravan disappeared and we returned to our old selves in time to see that we were within sight of Leuda, the Selkie capitol of the world.

* * *

We docked at Leuda's port and emerged into a different kind of sea. This one was full of beautiful people with busty chests and large, well-built bodies. Once we were able to cross the beach, we made our way up a staircase carved out of the stone cliff ahead. We had to cross several swinging bridges that climbed further and further up. As we went, on several bluffs there were shops set up under colorful tents selling fine weapons and armor. I decided to speak with a resident about finding a supplies shop for travelers. I found a young boy with sloping blond bangs and hair that curled at the base of his neck and beckoned him over. He appeared to have a slightly mischievous air about him, but I blocked it out.

"Hm? What? What do you want with me?" he asked defensively, eyes darting over the rest of my party. He shuffled his feet in the sandy dirt and moved around me in a weird fashion.

"I was…just curious as to whether or not you knew a place where we could buy traveling stock." I told him, cocking an eyebrow at his weird behavior.

"Oh yea. I've got a friend who can help ya there." the small boy said, and called over a gorgeous older Selkie who grinned slyly and bowed as he approached. He tried speaking with us, but could only use the Selkish tongue and we didn't end up getting much information out of him about our question. Instead, I was shocked to feel small hands push me from behind and a hard body knock me at the knees. I fell into the ground face-first eating dirt. I sat up, shocked more than anything else, and saw both handsome kids running off with their hands full of some of our Gil.

"Dammit! Those mangy brats!" Geoffrey snarled, clenching his hands angrily. He made as if to chase after them…and possibly strangle them, but we stopped him. What they had taken wasn't really a large portion of our stock and we started our trek through the town again, drawing a lot of attention due to the fact that we didn't have a Selkie in our party.

We were just crossing the top most stretch of land in Leuda when we were beckoned towards the left corner by an elderly Selkie woman who was missing quite a few teeth. She was bent forward and swathed in vibrant cloths that hid a lot of her disfigurements. She was still lovely looking of course. I was held captive by her glowing silver eyes as she spoke to us about the supplies she had that were going to be of use to us. It was soon evident that she catered to Caravans just like ours and that she gave discounts to such people. So we decided to stock up here before taking our leave. Yet she called Nich back to her, shooing the rest of us away. We were slightly suspicious as to what she may have to say to our friend, so we stuck close, trying to eavesdrop.

Nothing could be overheard however, nor seen as Nich was called behind a tall tower of storage boxes for several minutes. He emerged with a slight bulge in one of his pockets and a huge blush crossing his cheeks. When we tried questioning him about it, he said nothing. We decided to let it go after he threatened to throw Geoffrey into the sea from the topmost edge of the cliffs we were on. But something attracted our attention.

It was a large crowd of Selkies gathered around what simply looked like a pit until we got close enough to see a Selkie fling himself into the air and do a large number of immaculate flips. He disappeared out of sight and reappeared, doing more and more tricks. A boy could be seen making ticks on a board. Presumably scoring his performance. It was enthralling. The man stepped off the trampoline-like net and make his way towards the boy who reached down and hand the man a large sum of money. Our near-empty pockets practically screamed for us to enter the game and refill them. So we decided to take the chance. We stood there, discussing who might be able to do the best and it was decided that Gaia would take part. Geoff was also afraid of heights as well as water it turned out. He stripped off his armor to lighten his body and left it with us who carried it and pushed our way through the crowds. Gaia spoke with the boy who luckily spoke our tongue. He said haughtily that only Selkies were allowed to participate in the jumping game. Saying that the other races weren't nearly as adept at jumping as the Selkies were.

Talk about racism!

There was a nasty bit of haggling and angry cursing during which another participant made a fool of himself as his legs fell through the net and he became entangled. Zero points.

The blond Clavat said something nasty to the young child who turned neon red and announced that a foreigner would play. A loud chorus of laughter erupted from the watching Selkies who too doubted Gaia's abilities. I didn't though. If any one of us was able to twist into grotesque-looking shapes, it would be our flamboyant Gaia. Caravan Tsiknus took up front-row spots as Gaia stepped onto the springy net and did a couple of practice jumps to get a feel of the thing. He proceeded to stretch his arms and legs, ignoring the calls of his audience. Luckily, few enough of them spoke Clavat and those who did were drowned out by the jeers of the others.

"Kick some ass Gaia!!" I cried, cupping my hands around my mouth.

The man in question winked at me and took a giant leap, throwing himself into the air. He twisted and turned before landing hard on his back. We cringed, thinking he was done for, before looking and seeing that he was flung higher and faster into the air than anyone before him. He pulled his legs to his chin and landed on his hands in the net, grasping it in his hands, pulling it up with him on the ricochet. It lessened the bounce as he jumped once more with his feet and launched himself towards the rocky wall on the opposite side of the hole. He managed to clasp onto it, eliciting gasps from the crowd. Then he dived, landing cleanly on his toes, the net not moving an inch. No bounce. So creepy.

And the watching Selkies burst into applause after I started a slow clap. We watched, stunned, as Gaia made his way towards the young boy overseeing the game. He dropped his scoring tablet and I saw that it was nearly overrun with ticks for Gaia. He gathered up a large sum of money and we left the place before the town erupted into riots.

We got to our boat, having to pay a rather unruly sum of money to get it back, and began our trip towards the Fields of Fum, our last destination before arriving at Conall Kurach.


	102. Thoughts in the Pool

**Hanna**: So that is what Amy meant about Katie throwing away a broken cookie!

**Momo**: What are you talking about?

**Katie**: You were too busy making Fawn Eyes at Nich to hear it, but Amy was wondering why I would throw away a broken Oreo. It's because you'd want the cookie to look absolutely one-hundred-percent normal if you drugged it. Which is why I always eat broken cookies. Perfection is suspicious.

**Momo**: That explains a lot about your taste in men too. And by the way, I was not making Fawn Eyes at our resident foreign dude.

**Hanna**: Of course you weren't, Dear.

* * *

During the trip, she and Geoff seemed to become best buddies as they puked together over the railing. And through harassing Nich and Gaia about their talks and Momo's strange behavior, we recalled a certain someone's importance here in the village of Fields of Fum.

"GAIA! It's your hometown!" Sarah crowed one night at the dinner gathering.

"Yup. That it is. Glad you remember Sarah." Gaia said, smirking mischievously. Rather than eating, he was bent over a piece of paper with a quill and writing furiously.

"Are you excited about going home?" I asked, fantasizing about my own reunion with my homeland.

"Of course. Now. This is very important. We should be getting there within a week, so go ahead and eat without me." Gaia told us, excusing himself and going back to his room. We all looked cluelessly at his empty seat before looking up at Nich who seemed highly pleased with himself. But of course didn't give us any sort of hint as to what lay ahead for us.

"You'll see in a week…" he told us slyly.

* * *

And soon enough, seven days flew by, leaving behind on the Jegon River, all past regrets and bad feelings. We docked in the busy little port of the Fields of Fum and were greeted instantly by a horde of Clavatian women who were, predictably enough, clamoring for our own Gaia. Sarah looked pissed all to hell and took my money pouch. She left in search of a respectable inn she claimed. But I could've swore I saw tears in her eyes as she shoved past me. Gaia looked after her back with confusion clouding his features, but he laughed regally and turned his attention to the buxom ladies at his side.

Geoff looked on this show of playboy-ism with disdain and shrugged his pack higher before following Sarah's trail into the town. Amy, Jake, myself, Momo, and Nich started to do the same, trailing our gaggle of Clavat groupies behind us.

"Striped Apple orchards and lush meadows make up the Fields of Fum where you can purchase a wide array of fresh veggies from local farmers." Jake prattled on like a salesman whilst we marched into the village. It was almost eerily clean, with the roads swept free of debris and houses decorated with weird white gauzy material and paper mache. The walls were scrubbed spotless and the people were wearing immaculate clothing. All either white or black and they marched around acting as if they were lying in wait for something.

"This is weird…they're not supposed to be this…well…up-kept!" Jake whispered to me. Which lead me to believe that normally the Clavats in the Fields of Fum were a bunch of farmers who cared little about appearance. We passed indeed large white fences in which there were groves of Striped Apple trees. Several ladders were propped up against them and children could be seen plucking the ripe fruit, dropping it into baskets tied to their backs. Wheat and other such plants were growing in wide fields whose scents wafter over our heads, bringing delicious aromas of breads. When they weren't scrupulously at work, the folk found time to wave kindly at us. Soon enough, after checking several of the small bed and breakfast buildings, a strange smell overcame that of the bread. It smelled strongly of cow dung.

"Do you guys have those here?" Amy asked those native to the continent.

Jake being the only one left, shook his head in wonderment. Apparently, whatever was giving off the stench was something he'd never encountered, even on all of the journeys before him. We decided to investigate, knowing Geoffrey and Sarah were fully capable of locating a nice place to stay for the night.

"We're uhh…going to try and find Sarah and Geoff." Nich announced suddenly, grabbing Momo's hand and leading her away without a word despite her words of protest. None of us tried to stop them, having become used to Nich's strange behavior. We proceeded to follow the smell of dung to the largest field we'd yet seen. We came upon a man standing guard to a field of a large number of cow-like creatures. They were of multiple colors and had lion-like manes forming at their throats. A golden ring was pierced through each of their noses. These things were bigger than the cows back in my world, and had larger sloped backs and huge legs. Different numbered blankets were draped over each animal as they roamed around the field, snorting and stomping. This was indeed the place of origin for the smell. I walked curiously up to a man in puffy white pants fastened at the waist and a striped blue shirt. He had a straw hat on his head and white sandals on his feet. He was chewing on a piece of wheat with his arms crossed.

"So…uhh…What's this all about?" I asked curiously, gesturing to his stock. The numbers obviously had something to do with racing and I knew that people raced cows back in my world for some reason. Was this another chance to make some cash I wondered?

"It's the Morris Ranch cow racing pen. My name's Morris. You can choose your favorite cow and place a bet on it. You'll get a nice sum of money if you win too. You can also purchase a cow for your family back home if you'd like. Just speak to Mileu, my wife down there, about that." Morris said. He smiled like a country hick ought to and waved his arms at the array of cows behind him. I heard Jakob scoff behind me. Morris looked offended. "Heeey! I know you. You're that spoiled little Prince Jakob from the capitol!"

That comment slapped the smirk right off Jake's face.

"Are you making fun of me good sir?" he asked, advancing upon the smaller man in his nice clothes. Morris didn't back down, but only proceeded to say that because Jakob was of royal blood, of course he would scoff at the simple folly of cow racing, saying it was of little importance. This riled the prince up enough for him to claim that _all of us _would like to place a bet on a cow.

Like he wasn't provoked on purpose.

"You're paying!" I told him, slapping his back.

Through gritted teeth, he said he would. Pay for me, him, and Amy's bets. Gaia had long-since disappeared along with the others.

"What're the odds my man?" I asked Morris, leaning on his fence and slapping it. I surveyed the cows ahead with intensive eyes, picking out the one I would bet on. Morris went on, with a smug smile on his face, to tell us the odds each animal had of winning. Amy and I were quite familiar with betting and gambling from our world, and knew that the best 2-1 odd cow was not always likely to win. So I chose the 3-2 rouge cow, number 4. Amy chose the 4-1 pure white one, number 12, and Jake being stupid and headstrong, went, of course, with the 2-1 black and white. Number 1. Maybe he was being a little egotistical there. Amy and I grinned to ourselves as Morris and Mileu went out with whistles and big sticks and rounded the animals up at the starting line, which was the first post where we were standing watch. They brought their rather putrid stench with them. At close range, it was almost unbearable.

"The first one to reach the end of the fence is the winner, all right?" Morris asked.

We nodded our agreement. Mileu, on the end of the line of cows, raised her hands, signaling that they were all lined up properly, and dropped them. Morris blew on a whistle hanging from around his neck and the three of us leapt forward, expecting to see a race of epic proportions. Instead, the animals started on a walk that was so slow, it was almost intolerable.

We fell over anime-style from the shock.

* * *

Needless to say, we wasted almost a whole day in the cow field area, going inside to a nice lunch made by Mileu and speaking with Morris who turned out to not be as caustic as we'd first thought. We helped cleaning up their house and tending to some of their crops. Upon questioning them what all the preparations were for, we got no answers. Which made us all the more curious. We went back outside in time to catch the end of the race.

"Yeees!! I won!!" Amy crowed victoriously. She collected her money prize and we left, making a mental note never to waste money on cow racing ever again. We then took our time roaming the quiet village looking for our friends, eventually crossing a mountain stream and coming to a big building in front of the Fields of Fum Great Crystal. It was a rather nice building. And we saw the missing members of our caravan gathered inside.

"_Someone _was in a spending mood…" I muttered darkly, marching through the front door and looking for Sarah. She was sitting sourly in a rocking chair by the fireplace. This inn was paneled all in dark stained oak. Twin benches ran all the way from one wall to the other, with two cut gaps where one could cross to a big hearth that had rocking chairs and a woven rug in front of it. There was a bar standing by the stairs that presumably lead to the rooms on the other floors. Gaia was kneeling on the ground in front of our pissed-off friend and looking as if he were actually trying to apologize to her, reaching for her hands but failing as she swiped them away.

I decided I could tell her off for taking my money another day.

Instead, we crossed the threshold, getting greeted and stared at for carrying a Chalice. It was empty and rather grubby looking without the Myrrh inside, but still. It had apparently been a long while since anyone in this remote village had seen one. The three of us sat down at the space where the rest of us were and talked for a while about what had happened in the day before realizing that two of us were missing.

"Where are they now?" I sighed, placing my head in my hands and meaning Nich and Momo.

"They're…outside…" Geoff said strangely, scraping his chair away from the table. He was looking out the window behind me and I turned around to see just what caused that strange tone to be in his voice. It was indeed a weird sight, and sent all of us rushing out the door.

Nich and Momo were standing on the pedestal erected around the Great Crystal and had what had to have been the entire population of the Fields of Fum gathered around them. It took a moment for us to get close enough to hear what Nich was saying.

"—and I wanted to say it here and now, before you great people, what I've wanted to say for many a year now…"

Then he got down on one knee, pulling out what must've been the bulge in his pocket back in Leuda. Momo's eyes filled instantly with tears and I got Goosebumps, my hands creeping towards my mouth in awe and surprise. I started shaking and moaning and jumping up and down.

"Morgan Elizabeth Mosier, proud warrior of River Belle Path and of Alfitaria. Woman of my dreams and waking life. I ask this of you…Will you be my wife?"

A tense silence had a strangle-hold on the crowd as we anticipated Momo's answer to a question we never really thought Nich would ask. The look of shock on the girl's face was enough to make you laugh. Her hands were trembling as Nich took hers in his, easily swallowing them in his tight grip. "Well…?"

"…"

She had said something. But no one had heard. Nich leaned forward, even getting off the ground, to get within better hearing range. His back was to us, and I assumed that that was when he slipped the ring onto her finger, but when the two of them split up, their intertwined hands shot into the sky.

"**She said yes**!" Nich announced.

After that, I was slammed so hard with the sound of cheering people, it left my ears ringing. A wall of rice so thick it hammered my head fell from above as people cried their congratulations to the now official couple. They were both laughing and crying in their mound of rice up on the dais and seemed so gloriously happy I knew it wouldn't be right to go up there and tell them that we only had about two or three months until we would be in Conall Kurach.

"That explains his weird behavior!" Amy yelled in my ear.

"Time to plan the wedding!" I cried.

* * *

It took about two weeks to finish the necessary plans for Nich and Morgan's wedding. As Nich had sent ahead the letter to the town's mayor about planning to propose here, most of them were already done. And Gaia had been recruited for his money. He'd been making a list of things that needed to be completed once we had arrived here.

So it was the night before the big day and I was heading towards the mountain stream where everyone was saying the best bathing spot was. It was sheltered on all side by thick trees. Once I walked into them, I found that all sounds were blocked out minus those of the birds and bugs. Nature sounds. It was comforting to be alone and in the quiet peacefulness of a place that reminded me so of home. I found the stream soon enough.

My insides felt as if they were becoming inflated as I stepped lightly into the pool's cold depths with all of my clothes removed. After the incident with Port Tipa I had become rather depressed; a feeling that seemed to like taking roots in my young heart and wreaking havoc upon everything. Not even the little memorial service like boat could take away all of the pain I felt. I dipped beneath the surface.

Little bubbles of air spiraled to the sky when I breathed out and opened my eyes. This pool was beautiful. It amazed me how we were always treated like royalty when we came upon a new town. I had the whole stream to myself, despite the business of everyone else. I swam a couple of yards before my lungs felt as if they would burst, and popped back up, shaking water from my long brown hair.

I turned around and started when I saw Amy on the bank near my clothes. She was just sitting, doing nothing with her hands or anything. She was sitting primly against a tree and gazing calmly out at me with a look that said, "What would you do without me?" My insides felt all warm and fuzzy knowing she would always be looking out for me, despite the fact that we were growing apart and going down our own paths. I smiled and waved; she acknowledged me with a small nod before closing her eyes and sliding down the tree's trunk to stand guard. Funny how she knew that I still had that insecurity about me.

I giggled and busied myself with thinking some more about where my heart lay. Nich's sudden proposal was bringing up old feelings again, making me doubt my newly-discovered feeling for the prince. Jakob, the beautiful, elegant prince of River Belle Path had been my first kiss, and I knew he would always hold a special place in my heart, no matter which boy I chose to be with. His shaggy black bangs dangling over one eye reminded me of a guy who needed someone who would look at him fully. I recalled him cradling my face in his hands all those moons ago at Margaret's inn; his eyes held a desire I knew I did not deserve.

I knew that Amy, my best friend of over 11 years, also loved him. This had never happened before. In my entire school life, I had had many crushes, and yet, Amy had never shown interest in any boys at all. So I had taken the liberty of asking some of the guys I thought she _would_ like that were my friends what they thought about her. Needless to say, this had lead to more than a few arguments between us. There was also one huge thing that would always be holding me back from loving anyone in this world.

It was the knowledge that I would not be able to stay here for all my life. A Clavat named Bertrum had once told me that he knew I came from another world and that I did not belong in this one. He had told me I was upsetting the balance in this world, and yet, here I was, saving it by going on this pilgrimage! My blood boiled and I sent a hand through the still surface of the water, scattering the reflection of the moon that shimmered there.


	103. Amy Gave me Everything

**Hanna: **... I think I'm going to leave for the night before I get nightmares from the wack job. I never thought I would be this afraid of a _girl._

**Amy: **Well, I_ am_ Amy.

**Hanna: **_leaves_

**Katie: **Yeah… Oh, _shit!_

**Mackentosh: **What?

**Katie: **Amy found the marshmallow gun! Mackentosh, I'm coming over. I have to escape her! ((meaning, to beyond the gate))

******Mackentosh**: No problem. See you in a few.

* * *

I tread water as the picture reassembled itself. I sighed. If only love were that easy: that no matter if you did, chose, said the wrong thing, it would always come back together in a beautiful image. I flipped over and thought about my two other options: the risqué bandit leader, Geoffrey, and the cool Clavat Gaia.

Gaia was the biggest flirt I'd ever known, and that was truly saying a lot, because I had another friend in my world named Tyler. He was grope-y and silly-stupid, with a not-so-promising future. His long blonde hair hung at his shoulders and tickled my nose whenever I was pulled into his embrace. His blue eyes glinted whenever I caught him looking at me, and he always made me laugh and feel good, but I always saw the other pair of bespectacled blue eyes glaring at the back of his head that belonged to Sarah. So when I smiled at her knowingly, Gaia always thought I was smiling at him. Another fault: he probably wouldn't be able to stay loyal to me and couldn't quite tell what lay right before him. He was just out automatically, I didn't know how to tell him.

Geoffrey's hair was longer than mine and held in a band on top of his head. His hair shone in the sunlight and looked like waves of chocolate when he walked and sent it bouncing. I always wanted to reach out and take it between my fingers and feel it; just to see if it was made of silk. He was taller than I was, like all the others in this world seemed to be, but he was slender. Where Jakob was broad, he was lanky, and Gaia was scrawny like me, but had muscles you would only be able to see if you held him like I had. Geoff's shoulders were just a few inches wider than my own, and yet…

When he hugged me, they seemed to go on and on. They looped at my waist and pressed me pleasurably to his body. His lips, so soft, had met my own on more than one occasion. Involuntarily, I had wrapped myself into him.

While I was swimming around, Amy strode back to the inn where the rest of the caravan sat around a fire cast by the inn keeper in the hearth. Her eyes scanned the curious looks and locked gazes with Jakob. She twitched her finger in a motion that said she wanted him to follow her and left back through the door, quickly entering the trees. The others cast the prince questioning looks, but paid no mind as he loped after the quickly disappearing Amy.

**Jakob's POV**

"Hey! Wait up, Ames!" I called desperately, chasing after the flickering blonde hair. She was leading me towards the bathing pool, but wasn't Katie there right now…?

All of a sudden, she stopped. She was in front of me before I could recover and it scared me. Reflexively, I took a step back and saw her cringe and a crooked smile creep onto her face. But it did not reach her eyes. They stayed a deep, vast lake of pain and held a tinge of sadness, as if she were letting something go that she knew would hurt her forever. I stared at her and waited for her to break the awkward silence. Amy shivered, shook her head, and let loose one tear that drew a shimmering line down the side of her pretty face.

At once, I went through his mind and tried to remember what I might've done to make her cry. I drew a blank and stammered. Amy stopped me by pressing a finger to my lips. I couldn't help but notice how cold she was. I knew this was going to be a night I wouldn't soon forget.

"I…I wanted to tell you something…," Amy whispered, so softly that I had to bend forward to hear her. My bangs brushed Amy's eyelashes and tickled her skin, and I resisted the sudden urge to kiss her. Such was the power Amy had but didn't recognize. She held her breath and pushed me away. "It…hurts me to say this, Jakob. But I know she needs you more than I ever will."

My mind did that automatic whirring thing and drew another blank.

"_Who _needs me, Amy? Tell me! Is someone in trouble?" I asked. I thought again, and realized that Katie would probably be the only one to do something stupid and not tell anyone about it. My mouth went dry with worry and the color drained from my face.

"Ha…! I can see it in your face. You love her so much, and yet…!" Amy's voice was bitter and tinged with a detestation of her own feelings. I blanched. So it _was _about Katie. And had Amy mentioned _love_?

_'Do I love her?' _I wondered to myself. My mind-set was a swirling storm of confusion. Alas, I did not know. I let Amy continue.

"I…have watched your feelings for her grow into something more these past few years, and I…I have tried so hard to hide my own feelings from you, and yet…I cannot hurt her by trying to take you! She may not realize it herself yet, but…She loves you too. I have seen you grow more and more irresistible, and more than once…I had thought about trying to steal you away from her, and that's when I came to this…decision. I will give up. Go to her. Goodbye…the first and only man I have ever loved…!"

Amy wrapped her arms around my waist in a lock-hold that not even the Devil himself would've been able to break. She stood up on her tiptoes and pushed me back against a tree. She jumped onto a rock so that they were looking at each other eye-to-eye. I gasped in surprise, and Amy took quick advantage of this; she slipped her tongue into my mouth, savoring the taste of a man she would never be able to have. Her hands roamed my back and sought a reaction from me.

I was stunned into submission. I had never been kissed like _this _before; never with such passion that I was afraid the woman would combust with it. Amy's tears burned my skin; I was so red and ashamed of myself. How could I not have noticed Amy after all this time? She was a wonderful kisser…And I lost himself in the moment.

I grabbed Amy's neck and deepened the kiss, thrusting with my tongue until it felt we were one being, joined by the passion and heat coming from both. And then it was over. Amy pushed me away, whispered, "She's in the pool over there," pointed to the right, and was gone again.

I was frozen to the spot. This had never happened to me before. My mom had given me concubines, but they had come and had gone by the time dinner was ready. I touched his lips; they were still warm.

_"Women from my world sure like to mess with you, don't they?"_

I was startled and leapt into the air at the sound of another man's voice. I whirled around and saw Nich striding toward me confidently and with a grin on his face. He had unbraided his hair so it lay in swirling piles on his shoulders. I was shocked to see how feminine Nich looked. I gulped and let him come closer.

"So now you're in the same position as Katie, aren't you?" Nich asked, grinning.

My head was spinning. A red haze had fallen before my eyes and I couldn't get Amy out of my mind. But somewhere in the back of my head, Katie lurked, like a painful memory that…that I loved…

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked huffily, crossing my arms defensively. Nich chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder. I looked at the older man and it seemed to Nich that I was practically _begging _for help. Once more, Nich laughed, softly.

"Look. You should honor Amy's wishes and go see Katie, dude. That's all I can tell you. After all, once Amy's done something, she'll act just like Katie and pretend nothing's happened. But she'll be like a hawk afterward; if you don't do what she asks, you're gonna be in trouble."

Nich's words stung my heart. I would hate myself forever for not taking Amy in, but Katie was there, and I hoped she always would be. I nodded once and turned in the direction Amy had pointed, leaving Nich to watch me go with keen eyes that had a knowing glint to them.

**Katie's POV**

Now, during all this; while my best friend unknowingly gave me everything she held dear to her, I had been frolicking in the water and surf, happy and careless, not even wondering what may be hiding in the shadows; such was the peace of this area. I stopped about where I could stand flat-footed and the water swirled at my breastbone. I was staring up at the full moon and felt so happy, my heart could burst. I turned around, readying myself to call out to Amy and ask her to join me, but saw Jakob standing on the shore instead. I jumped. He had nothing on but his loose baggy sleeping pants.

"What're _you _doing out here? Pervert!" I called jokingly, pretending to cover up my body. Jakob smiled crookedly and waded out into the water until he stood beside me. We looked up at the moon together, until that funny air vanished to be replaced by calm tranquility.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?" I asked, casting a side-long glance at the prince. He was staring at his hands. They were making small ripples and seemed not as interesting to me as the moon. I returned my attention to it instead.

"Amy…she told me everything, Kate. It was…rather hard to hear…" Jakob commented lightly, laughing once. I cocked an eyebrow but did not look at him. What was there that Amy knew that he did not, after all this time?

"And I realized that not all of us will make it to Conal Kurach…We will lose more than Mackenzie and Hanna by the time we're there….I wanted to ask you to, despite my own feelings to…_go home_!"

My eyes widened in shock. This conversation had taken an unexpected turn. I gasped and whirled to face him with fire blazing in my eyes.

"How can you ask me to do that, Jakob?! After all that we've gone through? After Mackenzie gave her life for this journey?! I can't believe you could be that _cruel!_" I cried, diving under the water and swimming down the shore-line. When I came up, Jakob was there already, surprising me some more with his speed. A smile was on his face. It seemed to mock me. I thrust my lower lip out and just stood there. Then Jakob laughed. Loudly.

"How is this funny, you bastard?!"

"Ahh, Katie…I cannot begin to fathom how many times you have called me that. An insult it is supposed to be, I know, but…it amuses me more than it insults me. You are such a happy person. I doubt I have ever seen you truly mad."

"Shut up!"

"…That is why I am afraid of losing you…I do not wish to wait and fight beside you, day by day, knowing that it could be my fault you die one day. I…I love you so much, Katie. I want you to go home. It is the only way I can truly protect you! So please!" he begged.

My heart felt heavy. It seemed to have dropped into the bottom of my stomach and lay there, lifeless. My anger had vanished. I wanted him to say it again. Say that he loved me! But how can he love me so much and ask me to leave him?_ 'What does he mean?!'_

"I…I have told you all these things over time….Jakob. I've kept saying, 'We have to get to Conal Kurach!' without even thinking about how it must affect you! Oh, I'm sorry…I must sound suicidal. But I don't want to leave you! I'm so, so sorry, but I just can't! **_I love you!_**" I snarled. Angrily. It's weird how I express my feelings. I'd never actually told anyone I love them before, and the realization that I had reduced me to tears. I brushed them away with a fist. "Dammit! I promised myself I wouldn't _cry _anymore!"

I felt Jakob place a hand on my shoulder and grip it gently. I pushed my fists into my eyes and refused to look at him; too afraid I would see rejection reflecting back at me for showing my weakness to him again. He must be so sick of seeing me cry! I shivered.

"You bitch! Just look at me!" Jakob whispered. He took my wrists in his hands; they wound around so much he was able to touch the second knuckle on his fingers. "You…are too skinny, you know that? You go on like nothing happens and you're so happy, sometimes it makes me want to kill you myself, and yet…!!"

He didn't say anything else. He cut himself off and looked at me with such intensity I tried flinching away.

"Let me go!" I cried, churning the water around us with sharp, angry strokes. They were futile though. Jakob held me fast with his strength. I cursed myself for my weakness and went limp. Jakob tilted my head up so I was looking him, reluctantly, in the eye. I lost myself. All my will and anger vanished in that instant. And I found myself moving up, using his shirt as a tool—I gripped it with both hands—and crushed my lips against his.

"I…I hate you!" I snarled angrily. I kissed him again, more urgently. My hands found hold in the roots of his hair and I pressed myself against him. My arms wound around his neck and held fast. Before I realized what had happened, the prince had carried me ashore and we lay in the soft sand with him on top of me, kissing my jawbone with butterfly kisses. My eyelashes fluttered quickly, heat coming off me in waves. I loved this man. Utterly and completely. I would give myself to him, if he so asked for it.

"You are sure you have not done this before?" Jakob asked heavily, his lips moving up to nibble on my earlobe. I moaned and slapped him.

"You're the one who's not a virgin, remember? You should…be able to tell, you fool…!" I grabbed for him again and kissed him hard. His hands went to my back and he rolled over so that I was on top of him. My hair hung loosely around my face, splattering him with droplets of water.

"You are glowing, my dear. A nymph to me you seem. So fair…," Jake leaned up on his elbows and kissed me. I was panting. I bent to his ear and uttered the words, 'I love you. I will do anything for you!' I lay down on top of him and kissed his neck, feeling his pulse race beneath my lips. My own beat faster and I made to undo my top, but his hands stopped me.

"You do not wish to do this, Katie…," Jakob said warningly, looking at me with a look that reminded me of my parents when they gave me…_the sex talk._ His eyes roamed my body and I knew that he wanted me, but…why did he stop me? I was so ready! "We will wait, Love. Save yourself...It is much better when done….right."

I let out a contented sigh and jumped up. Jakob stood quickly, afraid he had offended me in some way. I shook off his apologies and took off around the pool, coming to a tall rock covered with soft moss and flowers. I looked down; Jakob was below looking stunned I had moved away so fast. I raised my hands high above my head like I had just won the Olympics. The moon glowed behind me, and you could see through my shirt, but I didn't care. Drops of starlight appeared around me, but they were merely Pyreflies; the souls of the dead come to dance.

I laughed and let out a whoop of excitement.

"I LOVE YOU, YOU JERK!" I shouted happily. I cast the prince a smile and primly folded my hands behind me. Jake laughed and started to run around the water and follow me. I grinned and dove off the rock, submerging myself in the icy water. Even there, I was still grinning from ear-to-ear. This was my first love. The first time a boy had confessed his feelings for me and I had _returned_ them, no matter how rashly it may have been.

A hand caught my ankle as soon as I broke the surface and dragged me back under the water. I opened my eyes and saw Jake there, gazing at me with his cheeks full of air. I tried not to laugh as he moved toward me and wrapped me in a bear-hug. We kissed under the water and beneath the moon and Pyreflies. It seemed like we kissed in front of the whole world…


	104. A Beautiful Wedding

**Katie: **It's green. My fvorite color.

**Amy: **You're calm when you are alone yet you are outgoing and energetic with other people.

**Katie: **That's strangely accurate…

**Amy: **Really?

* * *

It was a lovely ceremony. The whole town turned out to see our two friends march together up their separate aisles towards the pedestal on the Great Crystal. Momo had adorned a flowing white gown without a back and held up by her barely-there beasts. Crisscrossing straps wound up her neck. She had a long train following her. Her hair was twisted and curled upon her head in the most beautiful design I had ever seen. And even though she had a veil on, I could tell she was silently crying in the way she was gripping the bouquet of white lilies in her hands.

Nich was accompanying her on his own rug, looking hotter than ever. His long shining black hair was slicked back into a ponytail similar to Geoffrey's. A few pieces of hair were pulled out and swirled down his face by his ears. He had on a simple black tuxedo with super-flared pants and sleeves. A glimmering silver dress shirt peeked out from the top of his jacket. I could tell even from this distance that he had a huge grin on his face as he marched confidently towards the podium.

They met eachother at the joined ends of their carpets and entwined their fingers, looking radiant. They walked towards an elderly Clavat – the mayor of the Fields of Fum – and let him begin this world's way of a wedding. Then came the vows which were some of the most stunning and pure-hearted words I had ever heard in my life. Momo's went something like this:

"Nicholas Kwan Yung Suk Hunter-Shields…I so swear unto you as the man I promise myself to for eternity, that I will love you like no other. That I will try and be the best woman for you I can. I promise you I will be there for you when times get hard and when there seems to be no hope. I will be the one star shining in your sky. Forever…"

Nich of course, had to counter this tenderness with,

"Morgan Elizabeth Mosier. You have _always _been the one star in my life. Shining boldly and more beautiful than any other. Today you've made me the happiest any man can hope to be. You're so precious, I find it hard to believe you're now mine. I have waited years to do this…may I?"

And he leaned in and placed such a tender kiss on Momo's lips that I burst into tears, sobbing loudly and drawing attention to myself. Sarah pounded my back, trying to get me to shut up, but it didn't help any. The couple onstage broke apart to thunderous applause as they linked hands and took off for the inn they had reserved just for them that night.

"Wait…where are the rest of us staying?" Gaia asked wondrously.

* * *

The rest of us ended up staying in a rather shabby inn compared to the last one while the lovebirds rested peacefully for another two weeks in the hotel they had all to themselves. But I had another pressing matter to attend to.

We only had about a month or so until the allotted time Mackentosh had given us to complete our journey was up.

And we had spent so much time here already. It was getting to be a habit, this luxuriousness we seemed to be treating ourselves to. And I intended to put a stop to it tonight. I called a Caravan meeting in the lobby of Nich and Momo's nice hotel. And that's where we were now, all of them knowing full well what I had on my mind. I was about to speak up when there was a tremendous _crash _against one of the windows. We all jumped a mile high, thinking we were under attack again, but upon further investigation, it was only a disheveled Moogle. An all-too-familiar one at that.

"Reum?" I said disbelievingly, reaching down and plucking him from the dirt. I brought him inside and we spent a moment giving him water and food as he seemed to have gone a great while without any. When he regained enough power to form whole sentences, the first one out of his mouth scared me so much so that I nearly blacked out.

"The king has hold of the capitol!"

Of course this had horrible consequences on the Moogle's body as he was shaken furiously for more information. He told us that he had flown all the way from River Belle Path after delivering the last letter Jake had given him and found it in total disarray. All the buildings had been destroyed and erected again in black stone. Most of the people were either killed or enslaved. McCarthy was being forced to make the best weapons for the king's troops which he was sending out to conquer the rest of the lands since the capitol was already his.

"And what of my mother?" Jake asked, his voice cracking pitifully on the last note.

"She was hanging from the gallows is what I saw m'boy…I'm so sorry…" Reum muttered, fluttering to grip Jake's shoulder with his soft Moogle-y feet. But nothing could hide the rage coming off the prince in rage. His whole body tensed before he slammed both his hands into the table and cursed loudly. Then he got up and took off out the door.

"Should I go after him…?" I asked the others. They shook their heads in a unanimous no. So we turned back to the immediate matter at hand.

Reum went on to tell us of the tyrannical hold the king had over the capitol's people; killing them mercilessly and without warning. He had them doing his will with a mere snap of his fingers, they were so terrified. This angered me. Greatly. So much so I hardly knew what to do with myself.

"Atleast now we know where he's at." I said darkly. "Reum. You say for a fact that the king is in River Belle Path, correct?"

"Aye. In a new black castle built on the skeleton of the old m'lady. Is correct."

"Then let's go. Now. Before he has a chance to escape."

My words were in favor of all those still present at the table. Except for Nich and Momo. Who were looking at each other petrified. Their expressions kept me rooted to my spot. "What's the matter you guys?"

"W-well…y'see…we've got something of a p-problem…" Momo trailed off dangerously, clasping her hands on the table in front of her.

"It's not that bad, if you think of it another way." Nich added.

"Just tell us what it is you two! We don't have the _time _for this!" Sarah cried, hitting the table.

"I'm pregnant." Momo told us.

What a way to kill the mood.

When I was able to calm everyone down enough to ask Momo how far along she was, she said she was about three months into the pregnancy. And that she and Nich had discussed the possibilities of how to handle the situation together since she'd first found out. Nich wanted her to stay behind and live in a place where danger wouldn't reach her. Like the Fields of Fum. Momo knew damn well that she wanted to fight, but couldn't with the increasing fetus growing inside her belly. And the sickness she was starting to feel in the morning. Of course, the rest of us were all in favor of Momo staying behind and raising her child in peace. We were able to talk Momo out of leaving with us, and were calculating the new battle tactics that would be required when Nich announced that he would be staying with her to help raise the child.

A double-whammy.

So now we were losing two amazing fighters to a creature that wasn't even born yet. Did it realize how much so it was tearing us apart? How hard already it was making the return journey home? But then I realized I was angry at an unborn baby who didn't even know me. And I was spurred on by the fact that I _wanted _it to know me. So we agreed that Nich and Momo would stay here in the Fields of Fum to raise their child. The rest of us immediately left the building after saying our tearful goodbyes. We reached our inn in time to find Jakob already ready to head out. He waited patiently while we helped each other armor up and sharpen our weapons.

We made quite the scene as we formed a line and bolted for the docks without saying goodbye to anyone else in the village. I knew Nich and Momo were going to be doing _a lot _of explaining once we left. But that wasn't nearly as important as getting back to the capitol and resolving what was going on there.

Once and for all.

* * *

It took about a year for us to get back to where it all began. To River Belle Path. The capitol of the continent. Once we got to Veo lu Sluice, we began to get hit with enemies hard and fast and strong. Ones that knew how to use Chi. A whole scene of destruction lay in our wake as we blasted through them all, intent on only one thing. So when we came to Alfitaria, it wasn't all that surprising to find it in ruins. But it _was _a shock to see what we saw hanging from the top of the gate. There hanging, swinging bloody and half-rotted, were corpses. They were hardly identifiable now, but there was a notice hammered into one of the towers. I pulled it off, dreading what I was going to read.

It went on to describe the attack on this Liltian city and how the rebel leaders who had helped and housed the Caravan Tsiknus had been annihilated. Killed for treason against the king. Who was not just the king of Conall Kurach but of the _world _for he now had a hold over the capitol. This meant that it was Margaret and Johavsven's bodies that were twirling on this ropes above our heads. All the more reason to kill this king. Jake was quickly losing all the family he had. And his mind. Seeing his aunt dishonored in such a way lit a fire underneath him.

Soon enough, my seventeenth, and then eighteenth birthdays flew by without a celebration. All of our birthdays were forgotten as we neared the capitol.

We managed to salvage enough supplies in the remains of Alfitaria to make it to Mount Vellenge. It was here that we were given a good view of just what had happened here in the years we had been absent. It was an utterly shaking sight. Nothing was as I remembered it. Reum was correct about the black buildings and the killings. From this point I could see the gallows glinting with red blood in the afternoon light. We had only about another week or two of travel before we would throw ourselves into the armies that surrounded the capitol. We could see from here that it was heavily guarded by Monsters stronger than any we had ever seen. Now it was all the more promising that we might lose someone here. We prayed for survival and took off.

* * *

Right now we were standing on the outskirts of town, near where McCarthy's old shop had stood. Now it was a massively huge machinery-filled factory, churning out black smoke. We had so far battled countless enemies. Probably more than we had come across since we first started out on our journey. We were taking a break, healing ourselves with the last of our Potions. It was a stupid move, but the Magecite lay forgotten back in the Fields of Fum. In our haste to leave, we had forgotten what may have been our most important weapon against the king.

With a ferocious grinding of my teeth, I lead my group on a rampage towards the new palace that had been built on the skeleton of the old one. We ran through countless bodies of the king's followers, slaying them without hardship, intent on one more victim. It made me so mad that he thought he would be able to come into this land and change it however he wanted. I wanted to belt him one. A really hard one. The possibility of finally meeting this asshole face-to-face was heart-warming really. It filled me to the brim with anticipation.

"Come on!" I cried to my fellows, and we doubled our pace, seeming like blurs racing through the river of blood we'd created.

The new palace was cold and black. And tall. It had to have had atleast three floors to it. And there was a big grand staircase that lead up to carved pillars. At two intervals, there were flat spots for breaks probably. It was a lot of stairs to go up.

But we were strong. We were young. And we were bloodthirsty.

Horribly, horribly blood-thirsty. Looking back on it, I can't believe how incredibly stupid it was to have let our emotions wash over us. We were blinded by our intense feelings of hatred. So much so that we didn't see the form standing at the top of the stairs. We just kept on running and running like the blind fools we were.

So when an incredibly large ball of black chi erupted from the hands of this new figure, we all took it head-on, and were knocked flat on our backs from the force. How dumb! We moaned and got up, ready now. That attack had emptied our stupid heads and made us ready to face this foe who must've been the last line of defense for the king. We were standing firm at the bottom of the staircase, our weapons and shields at the ready. What we – and here I should say myself, for I was the only one in the group to have seen the king of Conall Kurach face-to-face – did not expect was for the king to have come out himself, guns blazing.

The bullet-like balls of chi he sent rocketing at us did what they were meant to do; separate us. We dove to two separate sides, in two separate groups. Damn. Division was horrible! This was going to be our last fight! We had to stay together!

The king stayed at the top of the stairs, so shooting up at him while he was attacking us from above gave us a big disadvantage. He turned toward the group on the right that consisted of Amy, Geoff, and Sarah. Horror dawned on the faces of us in the group on the left. I couldn't let him finish those guys! So I made yet another stupid and reckless move; I stood out in the open, in plain sight of the king.

He instantly turned his Yuke mask to myself, probably wondering why I was seemingly delivering myself to him. I took this instant to fill the others in.

"This is the king!" I shouted to them.

"Oh? So what if I am?"

My cry of alarm and following stab with my blade did nothing. The feeling of having the king whisper right in my ear was no hallucination. He had indeed been right at my side when he said that. Even now, when I looked to my side, he was there, towering over me with menacing intent. He raised his hands, but then, a barrage of attacks blew at him from both sides, giving me a chance to escape. I ran to the group on the left. And we planned ways to get at the king from down here, for he had transported himself back to the top of the staircase and was once more turning his deadly gaze to those on the right. I had a plan.

Again, it was stupid and reckless and probably didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of working, but it was better than nothing at all. So I took Jake with me and together we bolted into the coming gloom.

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this, I can't believe we're doing this, I can't believe we're _doing this_!" the prince was chanting in an uncharacteristically high voice. I myself was rather calm, forcing my emotions down inside me, so I wouldn't panic.

"Come on, Jake. Don't be such a nancy boy. You're gonna be seeing things from a _much _higher point if you don't do this!" I said chipperly.

But in reality, the fact that the two of us were climbing up the backside of the palace with no sort of harness at all to try and ambush the king from behind or to make him turn his back on the others _was _pretty terrifying. But it was better than shooting futile attacks at the king from below where no one could get a good angle. So I gulped a bit and we struggled on, climbing towards a low wall that would allow us to land in the castle gardens so we wouldn't have to deal with running through an unknown palace like chickens with our heads cut off.

The both of us fell, panting like dogs, into the shrubbery growing around the perimeter of the garden we'd landed in. It felt good to have nice solid ground beneath my feet once more. My knees and hands shook as I dragged myself out of the plant and helped Jake out as well. He was worse-off than I was; his whole body was shivering with convulsion-like movements. I slapped him to try and get him to stop. He stared at me, wide-eyed.

"You _slapped _me!" He said with shock.

"So what? It was better than kicking you in the balls."

* * *

We were slinking along the side of the giant new building and just now sounds of the fight on the stairs were reaching us. It was quite a large palace after all. I looked carefully around the corner, careful not to make a sound as I stepped into a flower bed. The king was missing his mask and showing his real face at last. It wasn't too pretty, but I could only catch side-glimpses from this point.

He had a wider head than most people I'd encountered, and the one eye I saw was sort of shrunken and set back in his head, giving his brow an enlarged caveman-like feel to it. The eye was black and furious of course. I would've been equally as pissed if I'd looked _that _ugly and had just had someone break theproverbial sack for my head. So to speak of course. I wasn't that ugly.

"Ewww…!" I couldn't help but utter.

Jake got curious and pressed his body close to mine, to get a good look too, without making it too obvious. His face crinkled.

"Ewww is only half-right Katie. I'd say '_Fuck_ ewww!'"

I smirked and for a moment, we both pulled back and strategized It was decided that he would run out first, but doing so really quietly and just to get to the other side of the mansion. If this worked out right, as it should, then our right-side group would have enough time to come up the stairs and attack. Hopefully Gaia on the left would follow suit. After the prince and I had worked out some kinks in the plan, he left to slink stealthily along the front side of the mansion and waited against the opposite wall should I need some kind of distraction when I ran out first. I peered around the edge and saw Jake's hand clenched into a fist. The signal. It was time.


	105. Surprise Attack

**Katie:** We're baaaaaaaaaaack1111one11!!!!!!!!

**Momo:** yay storytime!!!!!!!

******Katie**: -.-; See what I have to deal with? And she's sleeping over tonight too….

******Momo**: hey, I live 10 minutes away from you at least for cyring out loud so… will inuyasha kill the chickens tonight?

******Katie**: After correcting five spelling errors in that last line, you actually said something that makes sense….sort of.

******Momo**: _thanks_ (sarcaistakklly)

* * *

I hadn't really noticed, but my legs were shaking. I growled a bit to myself and leaned forward on my toes. After signaling the hand to Jake, I bolted out, unleashing a horrifying yell that tore at my throat as I ran full-out towards the king.

As was expected, he turned his attention on me, this lone ranger that thought it fearless to run at him with no visible back up. 'It would be easy to destroy her' he was surely thinking.

"Heh. Katie, you have irked me for far too long, and I have nothing more to say to the likes of--," here the king had to dodge a Piercing Sweep of mine, but he continued none the less, after he'd reappeared, "—you. Now die!"

The black chi blast of the king came rocketing toward me and I knew there was no escape, no chance of dodging. And I knew that if this attack connected, that I was going to die up here.

But then, the bright blue chi of Jakob made itself known and blasted the move to the side with a Cyclone Slash, making it miss me by inches. It instead flew still backwards and blasted a rather large hole in the front of the mansion. The king did not like that. His ugly face twisted into a snarl.

"You stupid little boy!" 

His anger turned toward the prince who looked a bit daunted by this man. The look suggested that he thought the king was going to teleport to the front of his face. The king sneered.

"Die!" 

But this time, the powerful move was turned away by more then just me. Reinforcements had arrived in the form of…Amy, Gaia, Geoffrey, and Sarah.

The king smirked in my general direction as he attacked Sarah.

"She's quite a nasty thing really, in battle, I mean. She has a cute face, but she blasted apart my mask you see, and I can't just let that go unpunished, you know?"

His simple explanation was annoying and pissed me off. However, it seemed that it got the king off. He was nonchalantly flicking away any attacks the others were launching at him with his fingers. His attention was focused on me.

"You seek to kill me, do you not?" he asked me, his little black eyes boring into my own.

"You better believe it!" I snarled, taking slow steps toward him. The king mimicked my movement, but it was an extremely slow process. We wouldn't get close enough to touch, I could tell you that. And I was right, because another fiery blast of chi erupted from the palm of the king and it was headed straight for me. I stood my ground and when it was right in front of me, I elicited in my power and made it shoot straight through the attack which rocketed out into the gathering darkness, out towards the new River Belle Path. I smiled at the enemy triumphantly. However, his smile confused me.

"Hahaha. You don't quite get that move, I can tell."

I glared at him. He snapped his fingers and the true intention of the move was known. Gashes appeared all over my body, making my blood spurt into the air. My friends cried out their alarm, but when they tried to move toward me, they were blocked by the king's attacks and were forced to parry as best they could. My body hurt like hell, but I never fell; I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of beating me.

"The point of hitting you with that blast was to awash you in my chi. Even if you weren't hit directly, pieces of it still fell on your body, and when I snap my fingers it's like lighting a match to gunpowder. Painful lacerations appeared on you. I am particularly fond of this move. I made it myself you know."

"Ha!" I spat out some of my blood at his feet. "That was nothing! It's gonna take something more than gunpowder to defeat me!"

"Katie, you IDIOT! Don't provoke him!" Amy was crying.

"Then how about this…?" the king asked me.

In the moment where I could see him and couldn't; the blink of an eye, he was gone, and had teleported behind me, or so I thought. Now when I closed my eyes, I saw black imprints of his burned onto my lids, and I cried out as intense pain ripped through my body. Those eyes were crinkled, laughing at me.

I was possessed.

But still I did not fall. That was probably due to the fact that the king's own power now rested within me. I didn't want my friends to be killed by me, so I yelled something out:

"Death is nothing, you guys! I…I don't want to kill you, so kill me before he gets away!"

I couldn't see anything beyond the blistering pain going on in my head that whited out my vision. With a twist, the pain intensified. I let out a howl, and through the pain, I could feel my mouth moving, forming words.

"Kill me now." 

I couldn't see, and if I was going to go through this for much longer, I was surely going to die without seeing my friends' faces. I prayed against all hope that I would be able to do that one last thing. I felt my heart swell with love, and in that instant, the king bolted from my mind to materialize on the front steps of the house. I dropped to my knees, gasping for air, glad for release. Instantly, my friends were by me, pressing against me, and giving me healing elixir after healing elixir. I pushed them away when I was all right and glared hatefully at the king.

But when I looked at him, among the injuries I knew my friends had given him, were new ones; bleeding afresh with dark black blood. Or atleast it appeared to be black. The darkness settling around us was hard to see through. I grinned evilly and rose to my feet. Somewhere far off, thunder rumbled. A storm was brewing.

"Haha! See? You aren't quite the great man you make yourself out to be, King!" I roared, pointing an accusing finger at him. The king looked incensed and teleported right into the center of our midst, taking everyone by surprise.

Our cries of alarm and pain made our strength flare and we all used our weapons to attack the king at once. I think Amy's made contact with his elbow before he managed to slip away again. He appeared on the front porch of his mansion. His left arm from the elbow down was bleeding.

"You pathetic humans!"

And then he darted into the large estate.

"Come on!" I cried, leading the charge into the house. We couldn't let the king get away. We scattered instinctively as we made our entrance, sure the king was going to attack. And it was a good thing we did. His blast flew harmlessly out the door and into the sky.

We appeared to be in the main hall. The throne hall. It was a sickening replica of what this room had used to look like, only to a grander scale. The pillars were larger, the tapestries and other décor shades of black, and the throne…I believe the throne was the exact same one it had been. It made me want to throw up. How spiteful. All around the room, about ten feet from each wall was some more stairs. Just a few though. The king himself was in the very center of the room shooting off killing spells in every direction. My group had taken shelter behind the pillars, but it was obvious they weren't going to hold him off. His teleportation ability gave him a huge advantage.

'There's gotta be a way to get him to not be able to do that!' I thought to myself, pressing my back against a stone pillar as a blast shook my half of the palace. Dust sifted down on me from the ceiling above. I closed my eyes to think for a moment, and when I opened them, I saw that I was looking at myself. I was startled for a bit, before realizing that it was a mirror that was reflecting my image back at me.

Wait…reflecting!

A great thought occurred to me. I summoned Amy who was behind the pillar next to me to come here. She looked at me like I was crazy to ask her to move when a barrage of smaller chi blasts was being shot at her. I shook my head and made the summoning motion again. She shook her head and quickly did a diving roll, landing at my feet. I pulled her up.

"What the bloody hell is it that you want?!" She asked me angrily.

"I think I've got a way to get the king's teleportation ability taken away from him!"

"HOW?!"

"Here, help me get this mirror down…"

It was lucky for us that our pillar was mostly able to shield our movements from the king. Maybe he was too preoccupied with killing someone on the other side of the room. With my friend's help, we pulled the mirror to the pillar again. It was heavy. By myself, I would never be able to lift it. I guessed that the intricate, wide golden frame along the edges was what was making it so heavy really. So I decided to enlist the help of my friend. Amy listened intently to my words.

I told her that we were going to lift the mirror – it was quite light with two people – and rush to the center of the room, jumping down the stairs and hopefully not shattering the mirror. The goal was to the get the king to reflexively shoot a powerful attack at the pair of us and that the mirror would reflect his attack and send it right back at him. Hopefully, this hadn't happened before so he would be taken by surprise and if it did work, that he would be too stunned to remember to teleport out of the way. I wasn't sure if it would kill him or not, but it was worth a shot. Another ripple of thunder shook the building.

I also told Amy that she didn't have to come with me. I said I knew that it was practically suicide and more than likely wouldn't work at all. I didn't want to get either of us killed. But Amy stood firm by my side, insisting that it was the only plan we had and that we had to stick with it and believe in it. It was her who suggested infusing the mirror with our chi to make it able to stand up to the attack more. So we took a moment to do just that and afterwards lifted the mirror to our shoulders. We looked left and right, and behind pillars farther down, Gaia and Sarah were looking incredulously at us.

"Ready…?" I asked Amy. She nodded.

And together, we leapt out of hiding, landing far enough into the room that the stairs were skipped entirely. We landed on our feet too, and quickly scouted the position of the king who was nearing the throne at the end of the long room. We turned the large mirror in his direction at the instant he fired off an attack.

"Let out your chi, Katie!" Amy managed to say before we were struck.

I did as I was told, bracing myself with my chi beside Amy. Sweat was trickling down my back and forehead out of exertion as the attack hit the mirror dead center and then did exactly as I'd planned. It ricocheted off the glass and barreled back the way it had come, hopefully striking the king dead center. Amy and I let the mirror crash to the floor and ran for a pillar to use as cover as we checked to see if the king still lived or not.

His attack had been more powerful than either party had anticipated and I was glad for Amy's suggestion to infuse the mirror with our chi. Otherwise, it probably would've broken and killed the both of us. Instead, the king had soared through the room and hit the throne which broke from its pedestal and had slammed headlong through the back wall where clouds of smoke and rubble were starting to clear. Behind a pillar right next to the throne, I saw movement. It was Gaia getting out of cover to check. I wanted desperately to call him back, because I just knew something bad was going to happen. But my throat was constricted and I couldn't say anything. However, Amy could.

"GAIA! GET BACK!"

But it wasn't Amy who shouted those words of warning. It was Sarah. She had come flying out of the pillar opposite Gaia's and ran to cover him with her body. A black chi blast came soaring out of the clouds of smog a second later and appeared to hit him dead center, sending him toppling backwards and hitting Sarah as he fell.

They were both down for the count, but hopefully not dead. This was a shock to everyone to be sure. We all ran to the center of the room and stood by our friends' bodies, furious.

"Come out and face us!" Amy bellowed, incensed as she had never been before. She was gripping her sword so tight, cracks were beginning to form in the hilt. My soft touch made her stop. It was as I was looking intently into the smoke that I saw it; a shimmer of movement, signaling that the king was alive and well.

And also running.

"He's MINE!" I announced suddenly. It was not to be questioned. I was to go alone and not to have help. I was the would-be leader of this caravan and killing this last Boss rested on my shoulders. I threw myself through the filthy air and came out covered in grime. I was in a different hallway, but a little ways down, I saw him.

He was in front of me, running. I finally had him. And there was no way in hell I was letting him get away. He was quick to be sure, but the injuries my companions and I had given him had taken away his teleportation abilities, and I had him on the run. It was a quick gate, but my long years of travel and hardship made my speed last longer. He was kind of lagging, this great king. He was in my grasp.

I took greater leaps, ignoring the wounds I had received in the battle on the stairs. My adrenaline pushed all possibility of dieing from my mind. The others would find only one of us dead, and it wasn't gonna be me. I pushed onward with even more defiance and determination. I was gaining.

The king took a sharp turn and appeared to have come to a dead end. He kicked open the large doors to his right with his foot. They went crashing away to bang against the opposite wall. He ran in, probably preparing his epitaph, which he should have, in any case, since I was going to kill him and everything. What I had not been expecting was for him to launch his largest chi blast yet on me. And in such a weakened state too.

As I hurriedly rounded the corner into the room, I saw a snarling face and then black chi enveloped me. It was so unbelievably painful, that I was able to keep consciousness at all was a miracle. It felt like my flesh was being pulled off painfully slow and my bones snapped along the way. And then I crashed into a stone wall.

Which apparently I actually did, because a split second later I was rocketing through midair over a thirty foot drop to hard ground below. My screams echoed into the night. As if on cue, thunder pealed out of the darkness and soon after rain followed, softening the dirt into mud. So that when I slammed into it, the impact wasn't really as bad as it could've been. While laying there, I was pelted with shrapnel from the blast. My sword was somewhere out in the night. I had to find it before the king came for me.

I was reaching out, groping desperately like a beggar for crumbs, when my already broken hand that had been shattered beneath me in the fall was stepped on by a hard-edged boot. I howled again, this time letting the tears come. Nobody would've been able to tell if I was crying anyway; the rain was hitting the world too hard. Lightning lit up my surroundings and I saw the king glaring at me with his hateful dark eyes. The protective helmet that shielded that ugly face had been destroyed by Hanna, and yet, the thought of my friend brought to mind the others who had been killed. 

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO THEM?!" I bellowed hatefully; almost pitifully it seemed to be, being pinned down the way I was and everything. In a few moments, everything would be over and he would win. The world would be under his dominion. As he had wished. Everything he wanted came true.

His deep voice let out a few chuckles that were hard for me to hear. He reached up, and with his large hand brushed his sweeping blonde bangs away from his face. Rain dripped into my eyes, mixing with the blood falling from his face. His laugh made me sick. He twisted his foot as he got off my hand, making me shriek. I cradled my broken limb to my chest as best I could. I also raised myself to my knees. With another flash of lightning, the location of my sword was known. Next to the base of the new palace of River Belle Path. My eyes darted to it.

"I asked WHY YOU DID THAT?! TO THEM?! TO EVERYONE!!!!"

The king looked down on me, as he had always done it seemed. His scornful expression burned my heart. I ignored the pain in my limb as I had been trained to do, and returned his look. He frowned and finally answered me.

**

* * *

**


	106. The Final Battle NOT Last Chapter

**Katie:** …At least she brought anime…

**Gaia:** FMA anime so ha I have FMA dvd's and u don't well let's start the story mommy. ((FMA = FullMetal Alchemist))

**Katie:** …

**Gaia:** Holy crap! Nine chapters in one day!!

**Momo:** yeay!!!! Chapter fish!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Gaia:** Oh God, not this again…

**Katie:** ok I'm not in the best mood so I'll stop… shorty

* * *

"What is it that makes you who you are, my dear?"

My eyes widened. What the hell was he talking about? I wasn't even talking about that. There was no problem to be solved by replying to his stupid questions. I wasn't going to play his game.

"Answer me you filthy bastard!" I cried.

He sighed. "Your little friends are alive, but only just. I blasted them all to get out here. I wanted to get you alone. Now doesn't that make you happy?" His smirk was back. My heart burned again.

"No. Your damned _existence_ has made my life hell!" I spat.

"Ah, but we are from the same place, you and I. I came from Beyond the Shrub as well. Did you not know…?" My disbelieving expression was all the answer he needed. He stalked around me and I whipped my head on my shoulders to follow him. It seemed he was going to go into a long rant, and that would only buy me time. If only I had had a Potion or two with me!

"I was abused as a kid. Both my father and mother despised me. I had no noteworthy talents, no really good looks, no friends either. I was as dull as a person could get. I never went out anywhere. I always stayed inside and in my room where I thought neither person could hurt me. But they did.

"One night, after a heavy bout of drinking, my parents burst into my room unannounced and started beating the living hell out of me. When I was left barely breathing, they went out again somewhere. I thought I was going to die, but desperately clung to life. When I recovered long enough, I limped out the door. It was raining just like it is tonight. A perfect, wonderful night for a murder, if I do say so myself.

"Anyway, I was resting in the woods near my home, underneath an old tree. Of course, I should tell you that trees are not a very good place to try and stay safe in a storm where lightning is involved. It struck this tree, and just as I was certainly about to be crushed, a blue light enveloped me. My lungs felt like they were on fire because I couldn't breathe. It felt like I was going through a tight tube…"

Here, during the middle of putting new technique of summoning things to me using my chi that was barely visible due to my dwindling life, my eyes widened. That sensation wasn't something I had encountered in the years I had spent in this realm. It had happened only once, a very long time ago. What he was describing was exactly what I had felt when I came here. It was scary, and it was true.

"—and I eventually came to power here! It was incredible. I found it easier to mingle with the Yukes. You see, they aren't very fond of close relationships and were more into the magic I was getting more and more into. The dark stuff wasn't something they liked though, so I struck out on my own for a decade or so. And learned everything I could. I forged a mask similar to the Yuke peoples and returned. With my newfound power and followers I had met in that time, I was able to start a small city, then a state, a country, and then whatever else it is called later on. And now, with the domination of River Belle Path, every major country in this _universe _will be mine! Isn't that just a splendid story?"

The king had a sordid sort of look on his face now, but when he looked at me, his expression soured.

"Why do you find it so difficult to respond when I talk to you?"

_"Because I see no purpose in talking to a corpse!" _I shouted, suddenly bringing my sword into my right arm with a surge of power. Despite the burning pain in my three remaining limbs, I rose shakily to my feet and gripped my sword. I tried to look tough despite the white-hot pain and terror that flooded my system.

"Ahaha. Now _that's _more like it!" the king exclaimed in a high pitched giggle. And in that instant, I knew he had been pushed over the brink of insanity. He was really going to kill me unless I put up a fight. A battle yell was already forming in my throat and I took a lumbering step forward, but before I could even think of trying to attack, I was hit again by one of the king's chi blasts. It wasn't as powerful as the one that had knocked me from atop the palace, but I still went flying into its craggy base. With a sickening thud, I fell back into the ground, nearly broken. I was screaming loudly and more intensely than I had ever screamed in my life, and yet I was still drowned out by the deafening thunder that tore apart the sky.

_'I am sorry, my friends, my people, my world. I have failed you. I'm sorry…' _

But as I thought these depressing things, a new kind of strength surged through my body and I stumbled to my feet, amazing myself moreso than the man that was trying to kill me. I staggered and leaned against the wall. My sword was at my feet, but I didn't want to give him the sight of my back even in the instant it would've taken to retrieve it. I kind of held a grudge against people who'd tried to kill me.

"You are indeed a tough one. How you came from the shit hole of a world we both left behind, I'll never know. But I will give you a moment to recover. I think I'll even be so nice as to give you a Potion. Here, _catch_!"

Reflexively, my hand shot out and caught the bottle that had been thrown at me. A bolt of lightning shone in the darkness and made it obvious that a Potion was indeed what lay in my shaking palm.

"How do I know that you have not poisoned it?" I asked scathingly.

"I would not do that to _you_. I have an interest in you. You fascinate me. Now drink."

So I did. The Potion wasn't a super-strong restorative. So my limbs still felt like they had broken once the medicine had taken affect. My breathing came in less ragged gasps now. Seems I had gotten my second wind. The wall was no longer needed for support. I stood on my own two feet and in the blink of an eye, I grabbed my blade.

This time, when the king raised his hands for that diminishing palm chi strike, I was able to dodge; I took off a millisecond before detonation and threw myself away from the blast. I rolled sideways and landed behind a large boulder that had broken off from overhead. It exploded with the next blast.

"Do not be such a child. You were so terrifying before, and now you're playing kid games. How _disappointing_. I am getting tired of your little tricks. If you don't come out and face me like a warrior, then I might just have to kill you where you hide now."

For I was hiding behind a different giant rock.

From where I was lying low with my back against this big stone, I was beginning to feel hope dribble away like water cupped in my palms. There was nobody to help me this time, nobody to catch my tears. And nobody to watch me die. I could hear sloshing footsteps as the murderous bastard drew ever nearer, tightening the noose around my neck with every step. In that instant, I pictured my friends, and how they themselves must be suffering in the rooms above me. I knew I wasn't going to die here. I knew that I was going to stay alive no matter what. There was no way I was going to die at the feet of someone as ruthless and cold-hearted as this man. I was going to stand up…and do my friends proud.

So before the sneering, condescending face of the king could crane around the side of the rock, I lifted my sword to my face and stood up, crouched over just a bit. My long hair that had grown out again had come loose from its binding some time ago, and now hung clear down to my knees. It was getting in the way. I held my weapon in my teeth and shredded a bit of my top to make a quick ponytail of my hair. Afterwards, I bolted out from behind the rock, dodging to the side to avoid barreling into my enemy.

He had come prepared. But so had I.

As he raised both his hands, I did the same and countered the move I had seemingly mastered simply by watching his. My power was also stronger than his, but not by much. His fatal mistake was giving me that Potion. His arrogance had been his downfall.

When the two flaring moves collided between us, a sound like no other; a sound that was indeed louder than the horrendous thunder around us, tore apart the very earth. It sent the pair of us rocketing, and for the third time that night, I was soaring through the sky like a bird. My mind was going numb at this point. If I was somehow able to survive this, I knew that it wouldn't really be for long. It would be a miracle. And if a miracle was going to happen, it would've happened a long time ago.

My weapon was gone, my shield lost, and when I landed hardly, roughly, cruelly on the flat part of the new set of stairs, I blacked out for a second.

When I came to, I could've sworn I had died. I literally could not feel any part of my body. Even just lifting my eyelids open to peer blearily around was a struggle. Even if I tried to move, nothing happened. I was broken at last, and I was going to die by myself. Without even the pleasure of knowing whether or not I had killed my enemy. The enemy of this world.

With that thought, I screamed for what seemed like an eternity while I pulled myself up. It was pretty stupid. I simply flopped forward and landed on my hands. This sent shivers of agony up them and I emptied the contents of my stomach to the side. I subdued as much of the pain as I could and began to crawl up the stairs, to see if my friends were waiting for me, hardly noticed the huge trail of blood I was leaving behind, or the well-sized pool already on the flat surface below.

So when I got to the top of the stairs, I could hardly feel a thing anymore. I forced my failing body to go into the main room, the throne room, and confront what I thought would be the inevitable. But indeed, it was not so.

My friends were gathered together and were treating themselves with elixirs and the like. Sarah and Gaia were not dead. When I made my entrance through the torrential rain, they were hugely shocked. The first one to my side was Jakob of course. He was bawling already.

"Katie! _Katie_! What happened?"

"I…fought with the king, you guys, but…I don't know if it was…enough…Carry me…please…," My strength was waning, and my wishes were not to be questioned at this point. Jakob ceremoniously cradled my body to his chest, despite the bleeding and my shrieks of pain. He seemed like he wanted to put me down, but I told him not to.

"Here, Katie! Drink this…," and Amy was there, bleeding a bit herself, and was tipping some health thing into my mouth. But when I tried swallowing, something formed in my throat that wouldn't allow the liquid to pass. I coughed it up all over myself, adding more to the mess.

"Heh, that bastard…"

"What? Why won't it work?!" Amy moaned. She was getting ready to tip more into me, but I refused.

"Amy, no. I'm fine…"

"No you're not! You always made me take _my _medicine, now take yours dammit!" an infuriated Geoff was telling me. His face was kind of blurry though. Sarah was standing wordlessly at his side. I decided to explain a bit. I had just realized it myself.

"The king…his Potion must've… had some kind of curse in it. I was foolish enough… to drink the thing. It must've made…any attempts to heal me later futile…That must've been his plan all along…"

This seemed to satisfy them. Sarah, Geoff, Gaia, Jakob, and Amy quickly walked through the palace following my directions, getting more and more frantic when it took me a moment to respond.

We soon came to the looming hole the king's first attack had made. Through it, rain was coming, blowing into the palace relentlessly. It was kind of slippery.

"Take me…to the ledge. I need to see…that my sacrifice wasn't…in vain…"

Jakob's tears mixed with the rain as mine had before. It was heart-breaking. Amy's pain could be felt by us all. She was the one closest to me. Gaia was always there to make things feel better, and Geoff and Sarah were just so precious.

Jake went as far as he dared without slipping on the stone floors and tilted me a bit so that I could peer into the night to search for a body.

"Katie, I…I am sorry…I do not see one…," Jake said morosely. It appeared that he knew I was looking for the body.

But then lightning tore through the night, and in the second that it lasted, I saw it. I saw the crumpled, broken, torn body of the king. And I was joyous. I was happy in who knew how long. I had done it. And I hadn't wasted my life. My heart elated and I felt…well…still like shit. That wasn't going to change at all. My vision was beginning to blur even more and my voice slurred. With a moan, Jakob and the others moved against the back wall a little ways down the hallway. To get away from the rain. The prince bent down and cradled my broken body in his arms.

It didn't matter anymore. I couldn't really feel him anyway.

My eyes fluttered open for what I knew to be the last time. It was horrible. But I had to say my goodbyes. I had to have enough strength left for this. I opened my mouth, but my voice was nothing more than a whisper. At this movement, Jakob's ear came close and I decided that if I died, I could have him tell the others what I wanted them to know.

His face crumpled with agony and his wonderful eyes broke with renewed tears. His lips were trembling and his hold on me tightened to try and hide the quivering in his body. His knuckles were white, his face ashen, as he listened to me murmur my last words, into his ear.

White clouds drifted slowly over my foggy eyes, and faded to leave nothing but dark pools of brown in their wake. I tried to make one last effort to open my eyes, but it was not to be, and I fell back into nothingness.

* * *

"Welcome," Mackenzie said.

This time, when I opened my eyes, I was in a familiar place. I was in Mackenzie's rock garden. I was in the spirit world. Back in the world behind that golden gate. I scrambled to my feet. "Why…why have you brought me here?" I asked softly, turning my head to the side. I made no effort to move otherwise.

Mackenzie replied, "Look, Katie."

So I sat up slowly. I saw that there was a space beside another shadowy spirit figure. I jumped a bit. There appeared to be a whole host of them bordering the rock garden. I looked again at the spot my friend had gestured to. At first I thought it was empty, but suddenly I realized that it was filled by the faintest outline of a human girl. Of me.

"You are not going to be able to return to that world anymore, Katie. You have suffered too great of damage on your body and returning to it now would make your death pointless. So we are sending you back…somewhere else…without a fraction of your soul, for that is what it takes."

A shiver ran through me. So this was what it felt like to have your soul split in two. I stared in mingled curiosity and fear at the pale copy of myself next to the other dead figures, and as my gaze locked with that of the ghost's I suddenly saw myself, lieing dead in the arms of my beloved, my friends all too shocked to move.

"What is the point of this? Just send me away right now. I don't want to see that. I don't want to see my friends in any more pain than they deserve…"

My former friend did not reply at first. Instead, she sat down, her blue eyes glowing with wisdom. "No person in the world could have done more for River Belle Path than you." Mackenzie said. "Even though we are not of this world, we had hearts of true citizens…more than any of the previous kings or queens."

My hands grabbed fistfuls of the sand, getting irritated a bit. I mean, I had frickin' died! Why didn't she just send me to wherever it was she was sending me to and let me rest in peace? What was the use of this empty praise anyway? I could not tear my mind away from what was happening in the other realm though; where my friends were mourning my death. "Mackenzie-"

Mackenzie raised her hand to silence me. "Perhaps your quarrels with the world gave you the strength you needed," she went on. "All along, you did what you thought was right, even when your friends disagreed with you. You suffered loneliness and uncertainty, and that has made you who you are now…"

"Please!" I hissed, "Your empty words mean nothing to me. I went through hell and I have died for this world. I loved these people. And I don't have _any _sort of strength left to watch them go through this!"

There was a ripple of movement from the front rank of blackness. Mackenzie rose to her feet as she was joined by the friends who had given me guidance, love, and friendship throughout this long journey. And nearly in the end, their very lives. All of them circled me in the garden where I sat, tears pooling in my eyes at seeing them move again..

A medley of voices began speaking then, vibrating inside my head as if everyone were speaking to me at once, "Good bye, Katie. We won't be seeing you again…"

The shapes of these River Belle Path warriors seemed to dissolve into white light. I felt their strength flooding into me and knew that it was the strength that came with traveling through time and space…

* * *

**RAC: **Bwahaha! I am a horrible person. LoL. Killing off my main character. XD


	107. Katies Epilogue PT 1: Katie the Novelist

**Momo:** ...WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT SHE COULD BE CRUSHED JUST TRYING TO LIFT A SPORK?!?!!?! I'M GONNA SPORK YOU!!! –_pulls out spork and stabs Katie…repeatedly_-

**Katie:** AHHHHHHHHHH NOT THE SPORKS**-**_lying in a pool of blood on the ground_-

**Momo:** DIE!!!! –_cheerfully_- Cookies to anyone who can find the Pokémon reference.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open. They were heavy, unused to having to blink to clear the foggy haze covering my vision. But that they did, and soon enough memories began flooding back to me. A maelstrom of burning reminders of my death and the death of others came. I saw arcing bodies and heard cries of pain and saw flashes of blood. I remembered a stormy battle and a flash of lightning that showed me the corpse of the king of Conal Kurach. I recalled my friends' forms as they'd huddled around me, silently or not so silently, as I lived out my last moments in that world. Then came the visions of a rock garden; of seeing the friends I had just lost come into my own body and…send me back.

But where was I _now_?

I groaned aloud and began to use my keen listening abilities to figure things out. I tried stretching out my incredibly stiff muscles but found that I was unable to do so without having them slam painfully against a metal surface about a half-inch in front of me. I was also in a crouched position and when I tried standing, I only cracked my head on a plate above. I cried out and tried grabbing my skull, but only succeeded in banging around my cage all the more. I was getting irritated.

A tirade of angry curses started coming out of me and I looked sharply to my left as the sounds of muffled speech came forth. After craning my head up, I saw several slats in the box that let in a dingy yellow-ish colored light. I groped around with one bent arm along that wall and felt a bulging cube. Huh.

"Piercing Sweep!" I cried angrily, trying to summon my chi to blast apart the metal contraption I was in. Nothing. Weird. I tried another time, but again, there was no reaction. I tried again and again to bring out my pink chi, but for some reason, I couldn't. Something was going terribly, terribly wrong and it was scaring me. I opted instead for screaming as loud as I could, trying to get the attention of the voices on the other side of the door.

And I guess it worked, because the next thing I knew, I was falling through the air and crash-landing on hard ground. I grasped wildly for my sword before remembering that I had lost it in that final battle. For a moment, I couldn't see anything, because the transition from total darkness to blisteringly bright light was a sudden one that took time to adjust to. I knelt while I gathered my senses, just registering the gasps and shouts from people around me. Familiar people. Voices I seemed to remember, as if from a far away dream…

I hadn't realized my eyes had closed until I opened them to the strange scene that I appeared to be the center of. A circle of young people – I guessed to be around the ages of thirteen and fourteen – were congregated around me, their mouths agape in looks of total surprise. There was a smattering of fear and shock thrown in as well. I didn't quite understand what was happening. There were strange things here. Things like…vending machines…and lockers…and…gyms. This last one came with a realization so startling it was like getting slammed by a semi.

**I was back in my middle school. **

I paled. I started to shake. My strong façade was cracking and tearing at the seams and I could feel the convulsions of shock starting to creep into me, rattling my being to the core. It didn't seem possible. Why was I here? What had happened to Heaven? Wasn't I supposed to end up in a place of fluffy white clouds and sit around with Oprah chilling or something? But Mackentosh had said something about sending me…back. Though at the time, I don't think she'd specified back to _where_. Dammit!

I pounded the floor with an infuriated fist again and again, yelling and cursing the spirits for having the ability to bring me back from the dead without the use of a Phoenix Down, and yet not having the power to bring me back to the world I _longed _for. River Belle Path had morphed itself into more of a home than _this one _had ever been. Before I knew it, tears were coming hot and fast, and they dripped onto my aching hand, cooling it. I fell forward and started to shiver.

"Who _are _you?"

I didn't want to answer whoever that voice belonged to. I couldn't. Because I know I would've answered with some crack-pot answer like,

"I am Kaitlyn Denise Moore, knight to queen of River Belle Path!"

Not that it seemed like such a crack-pot thing to say to _me_, but these people had no idea what I had been through these past years.

"Someone call the police!"

That struck a chord in me. That word had stayed the same in all worlds, and it was enough to get me to stand. I pushed myself roughly to my feet, earning a smattering of sharp inhalations from my fans that stared up at me. Some of them I recognized. They were the faces of the kids I had left behind when I'd first entered the world of Crystal Chronicles. Heh. That seemed kind of ironic to me: that I should have changed so much, and yet nothing had decided to even move in any way here. I started to laugh. Cynically. Hatefully. Sorrowfully.

I ached for the people I had lost, and not just those that had died in that other world. I ached for their warmth and touch again. I wanted to hear their voices, or to atleast ease their pain by letting them know I was alive and well, if only in this other dimension. But then I remembered Mackentosh, and the hard core way she had of going about things. Her strong personality.

_'Don't you go getting all weak on me now!' _She would've said.

And so I decided to take her advice. I steeled myself for what was inevitably about to come. I hurriedly began pushing my way through the crowds of my would-be peers and instinctively made my way towards the set of doors at the end of the hall. I passed the library and office on my way. The secretaries yelled out at me to stop, that the police were on their way, but that only fueled me on.

I broke into a furious run, sprinting faster than anything these people had ever seen.

I burst through the doors and was whipped in the face by a blast of arctic winter wind. The chain-link fence was still in place all around the school, as I had known it would be, and I ran at it, leaping high up and sticking my worn leather shoes into the loops. I gripped the pointed top of metal and with a shout pulled myself up and over, landing in a crouch on the opposite side. The memory of Amy's not-so-good landing the last time hit me and I laughed again.

I didn't quite know where I was going to go, but decided that for now, the best place to be would be home, since the only other people who might've even had a _chance _of understanding what had happened to me were still in the realm of magic. I broke into another heated dash as police sirens began winding their way into my head. I darted in and out of buildings and parked cars, trying desperately not to be seen lest I'd be carted away.

* * *

Luckily, I had crossed all the major highways and dodged all the patrolling police cars on my way. I was lucky to have remembered the way at all; it had been so long since I'd been here. But here I was, collapsed into the wooden benches on my front porch, heaving with my head in my hands. After I was able to breathe properly again, I tried going inside through all the doors. They were locked. Both the truck and car were gone, so I assumed that nobody would be home and went to my mom's bedroom window. My secret entrance.

I had used this method many times before when I had left my key inside before school or something and needed to get in. My mom assumed that because her window was 'too high' off the ground, nobody would ever be able to get in, and thus left her window unlocked all the time. I smirked to myself and backed off into the yard a bit. It struck me that the neighbors might think I was a burglar or something because I certainly didn't look like the fourteen-year-old girl that had lived here before, and it _was _the middle of the day. But I shrugged that off and took a running leap at the bricks. I managed to find a grip on the windowsill and hung using one hand to open the window before grasping the sill on the inside. I got a good grip and pulled myself up, kneeling on the ledge. I proceeded to jump inside and closed the window before anyone could drive by and think the worst.

A wave of perfume washed over me as I turned and looked around the familiar room. Nostalgia came quickly and I walked through the house softly, inaudibly, touching things that seemed precious and held many memories. I eventually made my way back to my old room, my hand hovering over the handle for a brief second before turning it, and allowing me entrance.

This was worse than anything I had imagined. The room I had left empty so long ago hadn't changed at all. Nothing had been moved out of place whatsoever: the same dirty clothes lay piled around in random heaps on the floor, undone homework sat untouched on my bed, my mp3 player curled up next to it. I cried. Here, it struck me even more so than anywhere else, that time had moved forward only for me and nothing else. Everything was the same but me, and there was no way that it could catch up. I stepped onto the plush cream carpet and shut the door behind me before stumbling to the bed and collapsing onto it. I kicked off all the stuff except for the comforter and pulled that to my chin, giving in to the sobs and fears and doubts, allowing them to swallow and consume me until I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

_Wow. I was sure I was over acting like that. Like a baby I mean. I haven't cried like that in a while now. Oh. You're wondering what's up with the sudden personality change? No, I'm not bipolar or anything, 'though that may seem to be the answer to some of my behavior in the past. It's actually just been a couple of weeks, and I'm continuing something I've been working on monstrously for a while. Let me go back and explain a couple of things so that the present doesn't confuse you so much. _

* * *

So I had fallen asleep in my bed, and awoken a few hours later to shrieks and lots of yelling as my mom walked in and seemingly found her daughter – aged a few years of course – lying in her daughter's bed. Of course she hadn't listened to me or believed me at all when I tried explaining to her that I had traveled several hundred years into the past and it took a lot of persuasion afterwards to convince her that yes, I was her kid, and that I was going to be needing a few things from her.

She happily agreed, though it was probably just because she wanted this nut-job out of her house as soon as possible.

I had watched phantom-like as, over the course of several weeks, my mother called up the school and said that I was going to be taken out of the system for person family reasons. The school pretty much accepted that fact. So then, she'd just withdrawn all my college funds and transferred them to a separate account that I would later be able to draw upon for whatever reason. I used some for a lot of new clothes, since I had largely outgrown most of everything else. She helped me to find an apartment over in Chicago, and gave me her little red car that I accepted shakily. She put me through hell on Earth – otherwise known as drivers' ed. – and I passed. But that whole thing about having a parent drive with you for a couple of weeks after getting your permit? Not gonna happen. The now-distant woman had pretty much been driven crazy by me and was simply going through the motions.

We packed up all things and had movers tote them over to my new place. At my request for one of the house computers, my mom had complied and silently packed it. She seemed almost blissful as I drove away. I myself knew that I would never see her or my home or any of my real family ever again. Such was my choice of moving out-of-state. Out of sight, out of mind, was pretty much my mantra for those following mournful weeks.

I had to move myself into my apartment. The movers had been paid only so much as to drop everything onto the curb and then left. So I stood there amongst my things, underneath a lamppost that cast an ever-brightening ring of light onto the shadowy ground. The sounds of the highway could be heard to the west, and I began to bring things inside.

* * *

And another couple of weeks passed after that, during which, on my computer, I began to write out this sordid tale you've been reading. Time passed in an energy-drink infused high. I went days without sleeping, eating, or bathing. When I got to the point where I thought I was going to die from fatigue, I allowed myself a bit of relaxation. But only enough so that I could go back to work on my novel.

Once it was complete, I printed the whole thing out and began searching for publishers persistently. I spent countless hours in interviews over the phone, in person, or on-line. My manuscript was turned down all the time, until I chanced upon the lesser-known printing agency known as Jay Publishings in the newspaper. A number was typed beneath it, and I called in. I explained basically everything necessary and they said they'd be interested in meeting me in person, to go over some other things. I hung up with a time and place, ecstatic. I leapt into the shower and scrubbed and shaved furiously until I was bright red and smooth all over. I laid out the outfit I was planning on wearing and lined up all the make-up and hair products on the tiny bathroom counter.

I went to bed a restless mess and woke up so early breakfast became an actual option. Delicious pancakes. About a half-dozen of them, actually. But after that, I still had time left, so I got all dolled up and started on laundry. Once it was running steadily in the washer, I walked into my bedroom and sat on the bed, bouncing slightly on the springy mattress. I looked to the bureau in the corner. After a moment, I got up and walked over to it, pulling open the doors.

Before me was my armor, or its remains really, since I'd gotten pretty banged up in that last fight. I traced my fingers lightly over the foreign material and stopped when I came to a slightly bulging pocket. I cocked my head to the side, wondering why I hadn't noticed it before. I dug around in it before dragging out a folded up piece of parchment. I felt my heart stop for a moment. With shaking fingers, I unfolded a rather large picture. Of everyone. And then tears came again.

_Ha. And you actually thought I had changed! _

Through blurred eyes, I gazed at the exact painting of me and the entire band of Tsiknus in friendly poses with our arms thrown around each other and giant smiles on our faces. I couldn't remember when we may have even had the time to get such a picture done, or whether it may not have been a gift from the spirits, but none the less I accepted it graciously.

And of course, it was that moment when the alarm on my watch decided to go off, letting me know I had an hour until I had to be at my meeting with Jay Publishings.

"Shit!" I screeched, hastily wiping my running make-up on my sleeve. The trip up alone was going to take _atleast _forty minutes. And my make-up was smearing like hell.

I dashed into the bathroom and swept all my things into a little bag before grabbing my keys, my manuscript, a leftover pancake, and dashing out the door to my car.

* * *

So there I was, sitting in a rather posh waiting room for a seemingly unknown publishing agency with my book on my lap and my heart in my throat. I really didn't have any idea what I was getting myself into, for I hadn't exactly planned on the agency being this…_big_. I fidgeted nervously with my fingers in my lap while I waited for what seemed like a millennia for the person that I had talked with on the phone to come out and meet me.

It had been a woman, that much I knew, but I _also _hadn't expected the woman to be a beautiful, gorgeous one. The tall, long-haired lady that sauntered up to me caught me sort of off-guard. I was sort of lost in myself, and when I saw an all-too-familiar face in my own, I couldn't help but cry out and leap farther into the chair, whipping out a fist instinctively and stopping it a half-inch from her face. A cat-like smile appeared there. But whilst she seemed calm and serene, my heart was racing.

It seemed as if Mackenzie was back amongst me once more.

* * *

**RAC:** Hola! We're getting close to the finale. Katie's last few chapters will be up next week. Then after that, it's an Epilogue of those in River Belle Path still. Stick with me until the end?


	108. Katie's Epilogue PT 2: The Fireworks

**RAC: **Starting with this chapter, the disclaimer has been eliminated as it has simply become something of a bother to write off the top of my head with each chapter. LoL. Sorry if you enjoyed them ((for whatever reason)) But this is probly my worst chapter. Meaning that YES, there is SEX below. I hope I don't get in trouble for this. . . Enjoy? _sweatdrop_

* * *

_'Oooh, I wish it was over!!' _I was moaning silently to myself while I moved my arm robotically and accepted the praise from my fans. My right arm felt like it was about to fall off. I hadn't ever seen this many people before in my life, and they _certainly _hadn't all been out there when I myself was only a couple of minutes beforehand either. Who knew just signing your name or a quick few words on the inside of a cover could wear you out so much? _'J.K. Rowling, I now know your pain.' _I thought bitterly, but keeping on a happy smile nonetheless.

Within that first hour, Macey had arrived to keep face for Jay Publishings and to help me stay alive with an ever on-coming supply of blueberry muffins, my secret weakness. And this was apparently no secret to the line of maggots in front of me, for I was getting all kinds of blueberry muffins; from the little mini muffin kind to home-made ones that were secretly being taste-tested for poison by guards posted behind the mountain of books at the back. I took note of how on several occasions; they came back with no muffins left. I think that if they were poisoned, they wouldn't have had the time to eat _all of them_.

"How many more are left?" I asked Macey pathetically, trying to keep the whiny tone out of my voice. I was, after all, a woman pushing ever-onwards toward my mid-twenties. I wasn't a child anymore!

Macey sighed, got up, and followed the long line of patrons out the front door to check on the line's progress. She had a beaming smile on her face upon her return.

"That last man in the door is the last one. So you don't have to worry. Only a half-hour or so left, Kit-Kat." She said. I twitched at her use of the nickname I had heard come out of only Mackenzie's lips before.

With renewed vigor, I turned to the next people in line. My eyes bugged.

In front of me, was the most _beautiful _little boy and girl I had ever seen, and their father stood poised behind them, with a hand on their head, urging them forward.

I was looking at a miniature version of Momo and Nich. I smiled nervously, and beckoned them toward me, giving no such thought to how these probably-only-seven-year-olds could comprehend my rather lengthy story.

"Hello little girl. Did you like the book?" I asked the girl happily, taking the tome from her hands. She placed her hands on the desk and bounced a little as her brother nodded his agreement that they had. Their father chuckled behind them and stepped forward.

"Hello, Miss Moore. My name is Stephen and the little girl's is Morgana. The boy's Nicholai-," I blanched a bit here, "—and I read your chronicle to my kids as a bedtime story." He smiled lovingly down at the little kids in front of him and leaned forward conspiratorially. "Of course, I changed some of your _ending_." I blushed at that.

"You liked it too, I assume?" I asked.

"Oh yes, very much so, my dear. You are an excellent writer. Will there be a sequel or some sort?"

That wasn't something I had given much thought to. I suppose that it could be a possibility, because of the children, but the evil was eternally vanquished. Yet…

"It's very much a possibility, Mr. Stephen." I told him, a devilish little smile appearing on my face. Macey's hand clamped down hard on my shoulders. I laughed and gave the girl back their copy of my book in which I had absently sketched Nich and Momo's faces as best as I could.

I heard Morgana's voice, as they walked away, "Hey, Daddy, this looks like me…!"

"And what was _that _about a _sequel_?" my editor hissed angrily in my ear.

* * *

The sun was setting in the distance by the time we all finished packing away the excess books and tearing down the advertisements outside. I was just wondering how I was going to tote home my muffins when Macey came up to me and offered a ride home. I accepted graciously, since I wasn't too keen on letting the ravenous security personnel eat my muffins that I couldn't take home. I had them help me load everything into the trunk of Macey's car. But they looked a little sad as they placed the last box inside, so I allowed them to have it. It looked like it'd made their day. I couldn't help but smile. But then I told them that they'd have to bring me my bike and gave the nearest man the keys to the lock.

"You coming or not?" Macey asked.

I hurriedly jumped inside and she drove me home.

* * *

I got out and began walking up the steps to my top-level apartment, humming a little tune I'd heard from the other world to myself and digging around in my bag for the keys. My muffins I'd left down underneath the lamppost. I was going to go get them after I'd propped the door open.

"—and then they all fade away, to be but reborn again…"

I stopped. Was it a crazy stalker? Someone who'd gotten up enough balls to stand in front of my door and…but…what scared me more was the fact that nobody should have known those lyrics. I had never written them down in my book nor told anyone about them. And…what with the strange people I had been meeting, I couldn't help but get my hopes up for a moment. But I still stood where I was, and continued to sing softly. Testing. I couldn't see the shadowy figure leaning on my door, but I thought his figure was familiar, as I'd held it once before.

_"Once all pain is gone, they—"_

_**"—come home once more, to celebrate the—"**_

"—joy of…life." I could feel tears pricking my eyes. My knees started shaking and I knew I was going to collapse soon. The figure started forward. "No! Don't come near me!" I squeaked helplessly. I couldn't bare it if I saw his face.

"And since when have I ever listened to you, Idiot?" a velvety voice asked, grabbing my chin and tilting it up. And then I felt smooth lips on my own and I knew who it was without even having to open my eyes. I threw my arms around this man and grabbed him to me hungrily, wanting to shout, but finding I couldn't even talk thanks to the giant lump that had formed in my throat. "Those tears are going to be a pain in the ass to get out you know. Do you think you're up to it?"

At this, I opened my eyes for the first time.

My prince had come home.

"I…know I am!" my voice cracked embarrassingly on that last note, but Jakob didn't seem to notice anything. He only smiled and took me in the embrace I had missed for so long. He lifted me and used my key to open the apartment door.

I felt only the briefest flash of embarrassment at my unmade home. After all, since I was living alone, there really wasn't any sort of need to keep the place tidy, was there? But that was all forgotten as my prince carried me into my bedroom and pulled me slowly on top of him. This had happened only once before in my life, but now it felt so right, that I thought nothing of it as I straddled him. I stumbled for a moment at trying to undo the buttons of my shirt and cursed my shaking fingers. But Jakob's ever-helpful ones reached up and helped me along the way, apparently feeling no such hesitation as his hands were still and showed no signs of nervousness.

I slipped off the white material and let his steady hands slide up my back, eliciting shivers along the way, and unclasp my bra. How he'd managed to remember how to do that was a mystery, but one soon left behind as my breasts bounced free.

"Oh, Katie. I have waited years for this moment once again." Jake murmured gruffly. His hands slid to cup my chest in his hands and he tweaked with the nipples, bringing forth from me sounds I hadn't uttered in years. I brought my own hands to his and held him to myself. "Is something wrong my dear?" he asked a bit haughtily. I was hit kind of hard by the knowledge that I had not been his first, and that he'd had plenty of experience, but I let it go and slid down, tugging at his T-shirt.

"Now you." I told him. I let myself go in this moment, and became something I didn't know I could be. I knew I needed to feel him, after all these years apart, of separation. I wanted to touch him. I smirked when the prince arched up to allow me to tug off his top.

"Now what are you planning on doing?" he asked me, staring up at me.

I decided to shut up and show him. I brushed my hands over his body, reminding myself that this was the man I had left behind in Crystal Chronicles by finding every scar, every blemish on him. I didn't quite know what he was feeling beneath my touch, but it must have been good, because I could feel his muscles clench tightly.

_'I had forgotten how skilled he is,' _I thought to myself, marveling at how hot my skin could become as he traced patterns over it.

"You amaze me, do you know that?" Jakob muttered, grasping my breasts once more in his hands.

"You're going to tell me either way, so I don't think that deserves an answer." I replied smartly, smirking at him.

"There are so many things I could say to you," he said, his eyes roving my body. I tightened my grip on his hips with my thighs. I could feel him pull hard upward, but couldn't bring myself to look down. He took his hands and dragged them down my ribs to my tiny waist, and I sighed, wanting nothing more than to bring him inside me. He was teasing me, I knew it, and he knew it as well. I could tell because of the devilish smirk he had as goose bumps erupted on my flesh. "You are too perfect." He said softly, yanking down on the elastic band holding up my skirt. I inhaled quickly, and almost passed out. I could hardly breathe.

"You…are better." I said breathily, wanting more than ever to connect with him. I could feel desire cutting through me like knives and saw little beads of sweat pop up on his brow as I moved on top of him. I could feel my normally spazzy self slip away to be covered by a cloud of pure need. _'Fuck this. I only want him.' _

I wanted him so bad it hurt visibly. I wanted him inside me, to even reopen those old wounds and melt the frozen ice that surrounded my memories of his home. I wanted to make his eyes glaze over with passion, wanted to feel his muscles clench beneath me. I had to have him, to make him mine once again. But why exactly? I didn't exactly know. Maybe it was to confirm to myself that his feelings for me hadn't changed. That he still needed me as badly as I needed him. I could feel him, hard and hot through the wet fabric of my panties and doubted that he would be able to keep up his composure much longer. And yet, neither could I.

"Jakob…!" I said softly, locking gazes with him. I tried to keep that tremulous tone out of my voice, and was successful…for now.

"Do not." The prince told me, grazing my lips with his knuckles. He cupped my face in his hands and brought me down for a kiss. "If you say that you are not going to be able to do this, then you are damned wrong. It is far too late."

His rough reminder told me that I would never be able to resist the prince in my wildest dreams. I brought myself to a high perch over his throbbing erection and in the moment our eyes met, I pushed towards him all the emotions I had been feeling since his absence. I tried telling him that no matter what I was ready for him.

"I will take it that you say yes?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"That's a hell fucking yes." I answered, bringing myself down to him again.

In that instant all thoughts of doubt or fear were banished from my mind. Jake reached up and effectively swung himself on top of me, using his hands to map out every contour of my body. I used my own so that he would be nailed down even harder into my memory than before.

"This has got to go." He snarled at me, grasping my skirt in his fists. I allowed him to pull them off and trail heated kisses down my stomach to the top of my red lace panties. My heart nearly stopped.

"Jakob…!" I moaned.

I could feel his smile beneath his kiss as he moved further and further down, dragging away the last two defenses I had against him. He tossed the last of my clothes to the floor and crawled back on top of me, seductively dragging his tongue across my stomach.

"Mmm…Katie, you have no idea how amazing you taste…"

Him saying my name had the effect of tidal waves crashing over me. I gave myself in to the moment. I had never wanted anything as bad as I wanted this man. Newly unearthed emotions came forth faster than I had the ability to identify them. I swiped my tongue across my parched lips. I helped him shed the rest of his clothes, but he knelt on the carpet near the edge of the mattress and didn't come back up. I summoned him to me with open arms, but it seemed that the prince had other thoughts on his mind.

He reached up and started massaging my thighs, and I dropped my arms, helpless to his touch. He caressed me softly, then faster, each time coming closer to the spot I ached for him to come to. I tried twisting and turning so that he might, but he deftly dodged my attempts, and sought out ways to torture me further.

He pulled my legs so that they lay across his shoulders and cupped my bottom in his strong hands. I gasped.

"Jake-!"

"Katie. **Shut up!**"

I licked my lips and grasped the comforter in my hands, afraid. "Okay."

Soon enough Jakob had lifted me up and claimed me with his mouth, his tongue flitting in and out of his mouth to fly across my intimate flesh. I cried out and arched higher, held captive by his touch more so than his hands. I could feel it coming, and it had never happened before. But I was sure that the prince knew what was coming. I was also sure he knew damn well what he was doing to me, and was enjoying my secrets.

I tossed my head from side to side, bright red and fire hot, trying to find something to focus on so that I wouldn't be so enamored by his tongue stroking me over and over again. Yet, he had now found that center of me and pulled softly, sending any sort of thought rocketing from my mind.

I could feel myself erupt and tense and reached down, grasping his hair, hoping he wouldn't leave me so unsatisfied. I didn't want him to stop. I wanted more. I wanted Jake to claim me. I lay weak in his hands as he climbed back onto the bed.

"Oh…my…God…" I whispered.

He laughed at me. "That was just the appetizer, my love."

"You were always bad at cooking." I said teasingly, stroking his black hair. He stiffened at my touch and forcefully made us lock gazes. He looked serious as hell, and it kind of scared me.

"Do I look like I am even _thinking _about kidding?"

I shook my head nervously. His dark eyes seemed to pierce straight through me, and I could feel the ice melting inside me, to be replaced by rumbling thunder. He was getting way to close, too far inside my head.

Jake moved farther down and took first one breast then the other into his mouth. I gasped and moaned, wanting him to hurry, to bring himself into me totally. His teeth and tongue and voice tortured me endlessly.

"Jakob…" I murmured. I dragged my fingernails down his back as he unbound my long hair and fanned it out around me. He tangled his hands in it and brought our mouths together, hungrily, feeding the flames building inside me.

Now.

It had to be.

Now.

The prince lifted his head and looked at me. "Do you have…some sort of protection?" he asked.

"I'll get birth control." I told him carelessly, waving away his indecision. It seemed like a good enough answer for him. I got on my knees and arched over him, grasping his heated length in my hand and forming an imitation of the heat I wanted so badly. He groaned and I took pleasure in his. "Now don't make me _wait _any longer!"

"You asked for this!" and before I knew it, Jake was on top of me and I had spread my legs, welcoming him at last.

With self-assured thrusts, he brought us together in the closest way ever imagined. Our sighs and moans filled the room and brought us both release. And is some sad way. . . reprieve.

* * *

It was all over too soon. But it had been real, and I snuggled close to Jakob's side as he stroked my long hair.

"Thank you," I whispered softly.

"Hmm? For what…?" the prince was asking me. I saw that his eyes were half-closing.

"For finally showing me the fireworks…"

* * *

**RAC: **Hello! Do not worry. The explanation for just why Jakob suddenly showed up will be explained shortly. So don't worry your pretty little heads about it. LoL.


	109. RBP Epilogue PT 1: Saying Goodbye

**RAC: **These next few chapters are an epilogue about those left behind in River Belle Path. Not to get confused with the previous chapters.

* * *

**Amy's POV**

_Ten years have passed since the coming of the Great War that occurred between the peoples of River Belle Path and the great king of Conal Kurach. Ten years later, and the people have recovered enough to finally move on with their lives. The pain of the king's reign took its tole on them, and at first, nothing happened. _

_But we had a great new leader, the prince Jakob, my old flame. He had taken it upon himself after Kate's death, to lead the new world through all its pain. He had decided to start rebuilding the land right at his home, where it all started. _

_Those who had survived that stormy night years ago gathered at the palace after they had recovered from the shock. Jakob explained that everything was to be leveled to the ground. Soon. And fast. There was to be no trace left of what was now standing on this soil. _

_At first, work was slow, the people weak. It was a **city** they had been ordered to clear away for crying out loud! But eventually, word of the world's new king spread far and wide and all sorts of people began flocking to River Belle Path to help him. It was really touching. There were Yukes, Lilties, Clavats, and even the delicate Selkies working together to tear down a painful memory that would leave scars on their memories for life. _

_It took about two years, but eventually, demolition was complete. Jakob sent the people out to find supplies to build an entirely new city. The people protested, asking why they couldn't have just used the buildings that had been there before. Jakob replied that he wasn't going to house any of his countrymen in a house that had been built by the man that had killed Kate, the one true love of his life. Not everybody understood, since they hadn't really known Kate other than for that week or so she'd spent here when she first arrived. They weren't able to comprehend why she had been so important or why she appeared to be so influential to their young leader. _

_But they did remember the funeral. For all the brave warriors and those who had died for the cause; for them to stay alive and free and unharmed. That they would never forget, and it was for them that they continued working. _

* * *

I'm going to take you back eight years ago, to the day of Kate's funeral and everything else. ((**RAC: **Amy's an amazing seamstress in RL – real life – so she took it upon herself to make replicas of Hanna and Mackentosh.)) Nich and Momo had arrived once they'd gotten word of Kate's death. And even though Momo was still recovering from recently having her child, a girl called Raeven – she found the strength to come back to the capitol. They found it to be an easy trip due to the fact that once the king was dead, all Monsters simply disappeared. It was a beautiful summer's day, really. It was the kind of day that made the children want to skip out on the chores and go run rampant through the hills without a care. But there were indeed cares that day. A lot of them.

It was after Jake had taken rule and the people had come to him. So they were all gathered at the foot of the stairs of that rank old palace and stared up at Jake curiously, wondering why he had called this meeting. They were going to begin working on construction in a few hours. What other news could he want to tell them?

Jakob announced that today, there would be two fallen warriors put to rest at last. The people were confused, I could tell. Those of us who had been left behind were sitting in the throne room with the dolls, sobbing quietly amongst ourselves while Jakob explained what was happening to the masses as best he could.

He said to them that these warriors had given their lives for the cause and had been cut down cruelly and swiftly without reason, by the dictator that had previously occupied the castle. He also explained to the older ones that these heroes were who they were; the raucous little kids who had appeared beneath a shrub almost fifteen and sixty years ago, with two having arrived in the past seven or eight. Then it struck them. Those who had met those guys knew exactly who the prince was talking about. And tears and howls rose into the sky.

Jakob silenced them and called forth McCarthy, the blacksmith who had been forced into slave labor to make weapons for the king's henchmen. This work had taken its tole on him, and he looked aged beyond his years. But he was still strong. He pushed people out of the way and climbed up the stairs. He had big fat tears dribbling down his face and he was biting his lower lip to keep himself from full-out crying. It was very out-of-character. Jake reached out and hugged the smithie whom he hadn't seen for a long time. He then told him that he was going to light the torches.

McCarthy's eyes widened in disbelief. So _that's _what the prince was intending to do with those huge intricate stackings of wood on the outskirts of the ruined city! He was intending to make funeral pyres for his companions. McCarthy's sobs intensified, but he nodded that he would do it.

"Go on, my friend. We will see you in a moment…" the prince had whispered into the smithie's ear fondly. He patted him on the back as he turned and left to get oil and some flint. The crowd looked curiously after him.

Soon after, there was a disturbance in the crowd as a procession moved into the open. there were five young people, most in their late twenties, and one or two entering their early thirties, that were emerging from the front gates carrying what seemed to be three other people entirely clothed in white. So these were the fallen warriors.

A path in the crowd formed as the parade moved forward. At the head of the line was Jakob, cradling Kate in his arms. She had been cleaned free of dirt, but her limbs were still broken, though cleverly hidden behind the flowing white gown she was wearing. Her hair was all done up in a little bob with white pearls and droplets of Mythril glittering in it as well. She was gorgeous.

Next was myself, and I was carrying Mackentosh. The body of our eldest companion during the journey was amazingly life-like. I could hardly look at her smooth curls of pitch black hair haloing her angelic white face. Her lips were rouge and I would've swore she was breathing if I hadn't seen her body myself.

Carrying up the end of the line was Geoffrey carrying Hanna. Hanna was done up with white pants and a long, wide-sleeved top with white gloves and a delicate white headband. Her red hair was braided and brought over her shoulder.

Gaia, Momo, Sarah, Nich, and myself filed after them in somber silence, hands curled in front of us. It was as we neared the outskirts of the town that the towering funeral pyres became visible. They loomed over the people that had followed us to them by atleast twenty feet with one being atleast twenty-five. A long sloping wooden ramp was leaning against each one, and those with a doll divided up to walk the slope to the pyre.

As you might've guessed, Kate's was the largest one. I'm guessing that it must've been extremely hard for Jakob to do that; to set his love on a wooden bench and have to watch her likeness burn a moment later. But gently he set her down and I could see from my perch on the ground that he kissed her brow and then her lips. Her pale peach-colored lips that didn't respond to his touch at all. And that's probably what hurt him the most. His face wound up in pain and with a wrench of his head, he turned and marched down the wooden incline.

Automatically it seemed, the people had formed a circle around the pyres, giving a large birth to the very center. Jake looked around and saw McCarthy waiting at the left end of the pyres with a flaming torch. Jake nodded and gave the signal for him to light.

With a tremendous roar, flames licked eagerly at the oil-coated wood beneath the first pyre that belonged to Hanna. Next was Kate, but when he was about to touch the sticks beneath it, Jakob gave a cry of alarm. He ran forward and took the torch from the man.

"I'll do it…" was what I thought I had heard him say then. Nowadays, he doesn't like to talk about that day. But the prince gently eased the torch onto Kate's pyre and moved back to stand with the rest of us to watch everyone go up in smoke. The smithie moved down the line and lit up Mackentosh last of all.

It was painful to watch my friends be cremated; especially Kate, but I knew that they were going to rest peacefully in the next life. It was probably best for them to die like this; true warriors' deaths. And it was flashy. Kate especially would've loved it. I couldn't help but smile, even with tears in my eyes. I reached up to brush them away, and felt a hand already there. It was Geoff and he grabbed my hand fiercely in his.

I looked questioningly at him, but he was staring straight ahead as if remembering something. He himself had tears staining his face.

"Do not be ashamed to cry…" he said to me. Such tender words. With them, I cried my pain to the heavens and grabbed Geoff, just wanting to be comforted. The bandit held me to him, stroking my hair and telling me it would be all right. It was painful to remember, as I had on the past anniversary of everyone's deaths, Kate's final words, told to us by Jakob.

_"Tell Gaia…that I apologize for… always beating him up for every simple thing he said. Tell him…I'm sorry for not giving him a chance…_

_"Say to Sarah for me…that I am deeply grateful to her for having… lead you all in my place when I was… too weak and misbegotten to help myself…Tell her I'm sorry for having to rely on her all the time…_

_"Inform Geoffrey that…it was no mistake that he and I met…That the seemingly innocent training trip… that brought the two of us together is one I will always cherish…_

_"Say to Amy that…she was and will forever be, my best friend, no matter…what…that I love her more deeply than any…other friend…_

_"And to you…my…love…I will wait for you…forever…no matter how many years, centuries…or millennia it takes…I will see you…find you…again…"_

And that's where she had died, held in the prince's arms, with all of us beside her.

* * *

The pyres burned for three full days straight, each day standing as a reminder as to what had been sacrificed for the people. And on each day, helpers from across the land came to the city to help the construction go along faster. And it seemed that each and every one of them had a gift to give to their heroes. Flowers. Hundreds upon thousands of flowers anointed the ground beneath the pyres. So much so that they were now being tied to the stakes. The whole city smelled of flowers. Yet another reminder or what had been lost.

* * *

Stone covers were placed over the ashes of our fallen friends to stop them from blowing away. We had other plans for them.

So we waited until construction had gone well underway before we made our announcement. I was feeling kind of sick myself on that morning. I rolled out of bed to ready myself for the telling.

It was on the night the pyres had been lit that we decided this. The remains of our fellows were to be scattered to the lands of the free peoples of this new world, which we had now called Crystal Chronicles. This was a difficult decision to be made, but it had to be done. Of course, a bit of each warrior would be kept here as well, as a reminder.

* * *

It was nighttime by the time the ceremony had been said to start. It was a full-moon tonight. Torches were hardly needed, but still looked good, so used they were, wrought with the same kind of flowers that had been wrapped around the pyres. Everybody was really done up tonight in their best outfits. Raevan was with her nanny.

Jakob stood at the top of the stairs to start addressing the people.

"Good evening everyone. As you all know, tonight is the two-year anniversary of the night that Kate and everyone else sacrificed themselves to save us. That was a special night indeed and is one that we shall never forget. It was a night that was lit up by bright orange flames, and tonight I have a special gift for the four races gathered here to celebrate. It is a bit of the ashes of each warrior, encased in Orichalcum." And here the prince reached behind him and grabbed one of the four vases sitting innocently there. McCarthy, it turns out, was also a good glass blower – erm… _Orichalcum_ worker.

The prince called forth a special member of each race to come and take their vase. He later went and told them that it was to thank them for all their hard work and help in rebuilding River Belle Path so that it would be grander than any city ever known. Construction had been completed the previous week and it was indeed marvelous.

But after each race received their present, they set them down on the front step of the palace so they could go off and revel as was the custom. A large area had been cleared to dance at, around a huge fountain that had been carved out of marble depicting each fallen hero's form. It burbled out clear blue water, mixing with the sounds of familiar music…

"Nadia!"

The cry of alarm came from Gaia who at once recognized his old Clavatian friend he had left back in Alfitaria when we'd first set out on our journey. He ran down the steps and grabbed her in his arms and swung her around which made her squeal in delight. I knew what was going to happen, and saw Sarah walking down the stairs in a huff, as if she was about to punch the lights out of this pretty little girl. She walked up to the pair of them and glared death at Nadia, challenging her.

This didn't go unnoticed by Gaia who caught Sarah's expression. He shot fervent glances between her and Nadia, and it was in that moment that realization dawned on him. He burst into laughter. Sarah looked hurtfully up at him, and Nadia a bit put off. He shook with mirth, recalling what he had said to Sarah years ago when they had been running through the streets of Alfitaria.

"So you _do _think I'm sexy! You _do _want me!" He howled.

Sarah turned a furious red color. Or…was it an _embarrassed _red color? She gripped her hands together and muttered to the ground, "So what if I do?"

Gaia stopped. So did Nadia. She looked angry, but then furious as Gaia responded to Sarah with a gentle hug and caress on her cheek. He kissed her hair as Nadia stormed off, making Sarah practically melt. She looked up at him as if to question his motives, knowing him to be quite the flirt. He smiled a warm smile at her and lifted her up in his arms to kiss her.

Completely unaware that they had had an audience for a while, the pair of new lovers leapt a mile into the sky as the sound of clapping erupted all around them, along with cat-calls and laughter. Sarah's face resembled a cherry and she punched Gaia playfully under the chin.

"How dare you embarrass a lady like this!"

"Who says you're a lady?"

And this ensued in a chase with Sarah throwing whatever she could reach at him, with the exception of small children of course. The last thing I heard her yell at him was,

"So you _are _gay!"


	110. RBP Epilogue PT 2: Loss of a King

I couldn't help but laugh at the pair of them, thinking that I had totally seen that coming, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Geoffrey. And Oprah did he look gorgeous in his get-up! I could feel my knees getting wobbly already. And when he smiled, I couldn't feel them at all. I would've fallen down the steps if it hadn't been for him catching me. He was laughing.

"It seems a bit of Kate lives on in you, doesn't it Amy?"

I laughed too. He was actually kind of right. I _had _taken a lot of nasty falls lately. And after that night we'd spent together, him and I, it seemed only to have gotten worse.

"Shut up, Idiot, and come dance with me," I said, jutting out my lower lip. The bandit couldn't resist and led me down the stairs, around the vases that were on the bottom step. When we got to the dance area, it appeared that Sarah and Gaia had made up, for they were holding hands and waving us over to start the Warriors' Dance which was the one song where only those who had been there at Kate and the others' final moments were allowed to dance. And to a song from my world. Nich and Momo were standing there too, even though they hadn't been there, but because they had taken part in the caravan's journey.

In the past week, we had spent the entire time trying to remember the lyrics to a very special sad love song by Kenny Chesney. After we had them all written out though, the table on which they had been laid was empty the next morning. We were livid, but Jake assured us they were safe and would still be performed at the dance the following week. Highly suspicious.

What was also weird was that Jake wasn't there with a partner yet. We waited for what seemed like forever; the people were about to come onto the floor and start dancing again without the Warriors' Dance, until the prince came to be known by the soft plucking of an instrument similar to a guitar. He was coming through the crowd humming until all other sounds died down and the dance area had cleared entirely of anyone but Nich, Momo, Sarah, Gaia, Geoff, and me. We watched him incredulously as he sat down on a stool he'd been kicking along with him and started singing the lost lyrics.

To everyone's amazement, he could _sing_!

He announced to the party-goers that the song was dedicated to the fallen heroes and that it had been written up by those from Beneath the Shrub. It was called…"Who You'd Be Today". With a few changes of course.

With a strumming of all the strings on the instrument, Jakob began:

**Sunny days seem to hurt the most**

**I wear the pain like a heavy coat**

**I feel you everywhere I go**

**I see your smile, I see your face**

**I hear you laughin' in the rain**

**Still can't believe you're gone**

With the start of the song, us three pairings started to twirl and come alive on the dance floor, following Jakob's lead with the music. Momo, Sarah, and I knew the song well, and were already crying.

**It ain't fair you died too young**

**Like a story that had just begun**

**But death tore the pages all away**

**Oprah knows how I missed you**

**All the hell that I've been through**

**Just knowing no one could take your place**

**Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today**

I recalled Kate's last moments up there in the tower, before she'd died. Memories I had been hoping to forget were flooding my mind and clouding my thoughts.

**Would you see the world?**

**Would you chase your dreams?**

**Settle down with a family?**

**I wonder…what would you name your babies?**

**Some days the sky's so blue**

**I feel like I can talk to you**

**And I know it might sound crazy**

I buried my face in Geoff's chest to hide my embarrassment. Though Sarah herself wouldn't know about what Kate and I had done together before seventh grade, I still felt like those lyrics that someone else had come up with were directed at me.

**It ain't fair you died too young**

**Like a story that had just begun**

**But death tore the pages all away**

**Oprah knows how I missed you**

**All the hell that I've been through**

**Just knowing no one could take your place**

**Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today**

I remembered all the times that I had wanted to be able to escape life, and all the times that Kate had been able to bring me back from the brink of suicide. The memory of her warm body hugging me came to mind, as did the slap that soon followed. Geoff spun me out and brought me back in, captivating me with his eyes.

**Today, today, today**

**Today, today, today**

Around Geoff's shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the prince as he strummed his instrument with melancholy intent. He was crying. Then Geoff spun me away and looked at me then the prince. Was he jealous? I giggled.

**Sunny days seem to hurt the most**

**I wear the pain like a heavy coat**

**The only thing that gives me hope**

**Is I know I'll see you again some day**

And I smiled, clasping my hands behind Geoff's neck. We locked eyes and grinned at each other. I wondered what he was thinking.

**Someday, someday…**

And then the song was over and everyone was silent at first. Nobody moved. Then applause so loud the ground shook with it came from every person in the crowd. They stomped their feet and threw garlands of flowers at us while others were put around our necks so high we couldn't see. Wait…_what?! _

I would've flown into a panic if it hadn't been for Geoffrey holding my hand, I might've killed a few people as we were lifted high into the arms of the uproarious crowd and carried away to who knew where.

"Put us down!" I shrieked, thrashing around.

We were then all placed carefully on the ground after a short trip. We were at the pair of giant-sized gates at the entrance to the city. What was the point of bringing us all the way out here? Although I could only tell we were at the gates because I could see said gates by looking straight up, not straight ahead.

I heard the sounds of the gate keepers opening the gates and I felt hands jostling me forward until I could feel the cobblestones beneath my feet. I was turned around and was then pressed against Geoff's side. So we were being lined up…?

"Amy!" It was McCarthy who was speaking in my ear. "A very special gift has been in the works since demolition had started, and now it's done. We're going to show you, OK?" and I felt the smithie's hands on my shoulders, gripping the flowers in his hands that were for once, not totally grease-covered. In one swoop, all the flowery necklaces were removed from me and I was staring at a life-sized statue of myself in the face.

I didn't know what to say at all. It looked exactly like me and looked like it was made out of pure Mythril. It sparkled in the moonlight and bounced off the sword the statue was holding in its hand. My statue was on the left side of the gates, alongside Kate's, Geoffrey's, Nich's, and Momo's. When I turned to the right, I saw Hanna's, Jakob's, Gaia's, Mackentosh's, and Sarah's.

It was a beautiful gift. A wonderful gift. It magnified that I was with a new love and was ready to start over here in this world and make my life with Geoff. It was a night I wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

It was going to be similar to this one_. _

_Looking back on it now, I can hardly believe that I didn't see it coming. We had traveled together for almost ten years, and I couldn't even see that he was still suffering so? That the pain he was carrying with him was so great that one night it just boiled over? I hate myself for that night. For that day. For being so blind to another human's needs. Want to know what happened?_

Well, it was a breezy kind of night. The wind was sending leaves skittering past the windowpanes and through the courtyard. I had woken up a short while before then and was now roaming the halls, looking for something to occupy my time since sleep was not going to come easily this night. I was just entering the Grand Hall when I spotted the prince, sitting in a curved alcove and staring up at the stars. I walked over to him and sat down on the open space on the seat.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" I whispered.

The prince nodded. "So was she, Amy, so was she…"

That startled me. Jakob hadn't even _mentioned _Kate in passing since the funeral. I wondered why he was bringing it up now.

"Are you going to be all right?" I asked, reaching out a ghost-like hand to wrap his in a just-friends hold. He stiffened beneath my touch, but didn't pull away. The face that he'd had against the glass slowly turned to look at me with shadowed, dead eyes. He smiled a hollow smile and let out a long breath.

"Yes, Amy, I believe so. For now…"

I didn't have any sort of clue as to what he'd mean by those words for another hour or two.

* * *

I had left the prince to his thoughts carelessly. If I had been a _true _friend, I would have stayed there with him all night, but I had somebody waiting for me in my room, and my hunger was calling to me as well. I had gotten something from the cooks, and then headed back up, and when I glanced back at the spot where Jake had been moping before, he wasn't there. I assumed that he had gone back to bed, so I shrugged it off and left.

**Jakob's POV**

I did not know what it was about this night that was so special. I thought about it the whole time I was climbing up the hidden staircase behind a bookshelf in the library. The stairs lead to a trapdoor up on the roof, and that was where I was going.

I still had not remembered what I was trying so hard to remember when I swung the trapdoor up and emerged onto the top of the castle. Up here the wind seemed much more fierce than down below behind the window. I shivered involuntarily, but pulled myself out, careful not to slip on the tiles, and shut the door behind me. I deftly made my way to one of the jutting turrets and sat down on its window ledge, staring out across the vast lands spreading away in every direction.

So much power…

I did not want this. This power and ability to control everything before me. I wanted nothing more than to love one woman for all my life, and now that one woman was gone. I knew I was never going to be seeing her again. I sighed and looked up at the stars, hoping that they would give me a divination of sorts. I got only a mixed view of shimmering dots and nothing more. A thin cloud skittered across the full moon. I held my head in my hands and held _those _between my knees and groaned out loud. Then it came.

It was Kate's birthday!

That is what was so important about this night. Or day. Whichever it was. It was June eighth, the night of Kate's birth, the night of so much importance. I felt my heart breaking at the memories of a night so many years ago. Sobs wracked my chest and sent me into near-convulsions. I could not go on without my beloved beside me. I could not handle the pressure of ruling the _world_. There was just no way.

So it was through blinding tears that I made my way to the edge of the building.

And it was through screaming winds that I heard Amy's yell.

But that was it.

**Amy's POV**

Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would try and _kill himself_.

So I stood there in shock, at the end of my hallway, with my hand poised over the doorknob, with the image of Jakob's body hurtling past the window burned into my retinas. My door opened and Geoff hurried out, trying to pull on his pants with one hand and simultaneously hug me with the other. He could get no response out of me, despite his hushed answers that we could try again the next night.

The others were fast appearing in the hallway, and past them – after I had robotically turned my head in their direction – the servants that were not permitted in this area of the castle. They got enough of a reaction from me. I raised my hand and pointed to the window. Together, we made our way towards it, and by the time we all looked down, I wasn't the only one crying and screaming.

* * *

So another funeral was arranged the next day for that night. The only person who actually knew what or how the accident had happened was me, and I was going through hell at the thought that if I had only stayed with Jake, I could have prevented this from happening. Geoff held me for hours, telling me otherwise, but the assurances just went in one ear and out the other.

And soon enough, it was the day of Jakob's memorial service. While everyone else was congregated out on the lawn below, I was milling around in his room. There was something I had been sent to look for.

We of the old caravan Tsiknus had been the ones to gather Jake's body and clean it, and it was only this morning that the people of Crystal Chronicles would find out who exactly had died and deserved this grand of a funeral. Another matter was that of who was going to succeed the prince since he had passed away.

At first, the likely choice seemed to be Kate, but as she had died, and Jake had no heir…a will needed to be found. Or…we had really just called it a will because saying I had been sent to the prince's chambers to look for a _suicide note _would seem…well…just worse.

I was rooting around on the desk when I knocked a book off and sent it toppling to the floor in a flurry of pages. I bent down to pick it up, and recognized it immediately as the journal that Kate had been keeping over our journey. Curiosity overcame me and I took the book to the bed and sat down, flipping to the last entry that had been dated the night Jakob had been found dead.

_Journal, _

_I do so fear that I will be unable to keep this façade up for much longer. My friends are indeed the best a man could hope to find, but they are not her. I need her to go on you see. She was the reason I kept trying so hard, day in and day out, and now that she is no longer with me, I do not see the point of living anymore. And I am hoping that someone I care about will find this entry soon after my passing. It is my will, and it holds the fate of my kingdom…_

* * *

**RAC: **Damn. Talk about evil writing here. LoL. Never thought the prince would kill himself? Neither did I. Haha. I wrote these epilogue chapters a LOOOONG time before the story started winding its way to a close. So there are probly a few loose ends here and there. Sorry about that. But the fact that Jakob commited suicide is the reason he showed up in Katie's world. I had this whole thing before about him explaining coming to in the school, living in a shelter house for a while, then once Katie started getting famous, he saw a tv comercial about her and went to her book signing at the bookstore. Then Katie recognizes him and after the signing they go home, etc. If that helps at all. Kinda wonder why I took that out. . . Oh well. Sorry. Said this was written a long time ago. _sweatdrop _Also. . . NEXT SATURDAY WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER!!!!! Review?


	111. RBP Epilogue PT 3: The End of the End

I slammed the book shut after finishing the entry and ran from the room, hitching up my black dress as I bolted down the stairs and rushed through the huge open doors in the Grand Hall. The heels I had been given sank into the soft ground, and already I could tell that I was late for the ceremony because the coffin that had been raised on a dais had been carried into a corner of the garden and buried beneath a large monumental tombstone. The carriers – my caravan members – were grouped on a stage erected near it and Sarah was speaking some words.

"As of right now, there will be no definitive ruler, but--"

I chose that moment to leap onto the stage and rush to the podium, showing my friends the journal. They recognized it as well and let me speak. Sarah backed off obediently, wiping her eyes. Gaia received her with open arms. I stood shaking and breathless before thousands of people spreading out from the gardens and into the grounds and roads beyond. They were all here for Jakob's funeral and were looking intently at me. Of course they all knew who I was and what I had done, so I shouldn't have been nervous, but I was. I was so close to throwing up it wasn't even funny.

"People of Crystal Chronicles!" I placed the book on the podium and raised my hands for silence. "You are all gathered here today because of a horribly unfortunate occurrence, and have been ruler-less for far too long. I have in my hands the book that Prince Jakob wrote his final words into. In these words are his dubbing of a new ruler, and that person is…" I turned and marched towards my friends. I could tell that they were all anxious to see who it was that Jake had chosen to rule in his stead. But the person I pulled forward had been expecting this even less than I had. I pulled this person to the front of the crowd and bellowed to the heavens, "Geoffrey of Gratnoshk Forest!"

For the longest of moments, there was no sound at all. Then, somewhere far out, somebody started a slow clap and it spread from there like rapid fire; the whole crowd started jumping up and down, yelling and shouting and crying Geoffrey's name. Hats and flowers were thrown into the air in celebration, and somehow, a higher-ranking servant had gone to the throne room and retrieved the prince's old crown and shown up here. Geoff was still standing rooted to the spot with his mouth agape.

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears and push him to his knees and I took the crown from the servant and placed it delicately upon his head. Geoff looked up at me and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Oh, no fucking way!" I groaned.

Another silence washed over the crowd.

"Amy Lee Anderson of the realm Under the Shrub. We have been through many trials over our course together, and I know I haven't always been true. I have pillaged and plundered hundreds of people before, but I want you to know…for you, I will give up all of that…will you marry me?"

I dropped to my knees and pulled the stupid newly crowned prince to me, hugging him and shouting my 'yes's to the sky.

I swear if the crowd got any louder than it was just then, I would've been left permanently deaf. And yet…I wouldn't trade that moment for anything. Ever. It was a time I would never forget.

* * *

As was this one.

I was screaming and thrashing in agony and pain. I had to be subdued by leather ties and belts so I wouldn't go flying away. I wanted to buck up, but a belt tied across my stomach kept me from doing so. I was biting hard into the leather strap I was given to sort of muffle my yells. It wasn't doing a very good job, but I was atleast able to kill a strip of leather with my teeth.

"Calm down, Queen Amy! I can see the head!" a midwife said worrying to me. I got more freaked out and a new stream of curses erupted in me and I tried squirming with all my might against the bindings. No way! That was so gross! It couldn't be happening! Ewwwww!!!!!

After fire seemed to have engulfed my lower half it stopped. I felt warm blood and other liquids gush out from between my legs. I could relax at last. The sweat dripping from my body was making me hot and I asked for someone to wash it off and to unbind me now that the worst of the pain was gone.

While I was being unbound, the midwife was washing off a bloody little bundle and had cut the umbilical cord to my child.

**_To my and Geoffrey's child. _**

It was a little baby girl. She had been swathed in red silk blankets and handed to me and as she started to cry loudly, I pulled down the top of my nightgown and let her suckle my breast. She immediately started to calm and drift off to sleep.

"Fetch her father, if you will," I said sweetly to a handmaid. She rushed to the door, but before she could even touch the handle, it flew open and with a tremendous crash, banged against the opposite wall. Geoff ran in and was at my side immediately, looking hysterically around for his child.

"It's a girl, you idiot. Now calm down. You've made her restless…" I scolded my husband gently but quietly. The little girl was done feeding and now lay in my arms, squirming just a bit. But when her daddy picked her up, she stopped moving entirely, except for her breathing. Geoff looked like he was going to cry.

"I think she's going to be a daddy's girl," I teased gently.

Soon after, I felt tears falling on me as Geoff placed the child back in my lap so he could pull me to him and kiss me lovingly on the lips. I returned the favor, careful not to harm the infant.

"How's the shortie?!" a squeaky little voice called, running into the room unannounced. Everyone jumped and the baby began to wail. I started to laugh and let Geoff work on putting her to rest. I was looking down into the face of a cherubic little boy with long straight blond hair, bright blue eyes, and glasses. He pushed them up his nose and I was reminded of someone very familiar.

"Alexander! Where've you gone?!"

"Oh Oprah! I shouldn't have made him eat those vegetables!"

And then the two people I had been thinking about ran hysterically into the room and asked me if I had seen their child. Needless to say, Sarah and Gaia were laughing and crying when they saw my baby being held in the arms of their son with Geoff's help.

"Mama! Papa! Lookie the small thingie!" Alexander chirped, holding the tiny baby girl up.

Sarah walked up to me, crying softly at the new life Gaia was now talking to Geoffrey about. She bent down on one knee and grabbed my hand in hers. Her eyes shimmered.

"Have you come up with a name yet?" she asked me softly.

I turned my head to look at Geoffrey and in the second our eyes met, electricity flowed between us and I knew what I was going to name our daughter.

"Kaitlyn…Let us call her Kaitlyn Denise Moore…"

* * *

It was about eight years later that I was walking through the parlor room, running my hands over a few old oil paintings that had been remade over time. One depicted the old caravan Tsiknus, and the others were of the new families that had been started in the new palace of River Belle Path, the capital of Crystal Chronicles.

Fond memories raked my mind as I stared up at Kate's face at the head of the pack of warriors she had lead years ago. I reached up to try and touch her face, for it was the only remaining picture of her anyone had as far as I knew, but I was too short. So I stepped up on the outlying stone surface of the fireplace and brushed my fingers along it instead. Tears came. As they always did when I thought of Kate.

So it was like that that my "nieces and nephew", Raevan, Sayeh, Airi, Alexander, and daughter and other son, Xavier, found me; standing on my tiptoes on the fireplace with my hands against an old picture. The children started to giggle. I got down and glared playfully at them all. There were quite a few of them.

Katie and Xavier were sticking their tongues out at me and shaking their butts, laughing. Those two were going to be a handful. In the meantime, Sarah had gotten pregnant again, and this time also had twins, though girls. Their names were Sayeh and Airi. They were doing the anime/manga f-u sign. I was deeply insulted before remembering who had taught them that.

It had been me.

So I sat next to the fireplace and started laughing. This drew in all the children and I grasped them in one bear hug as best as I could without leaving anyone out.

"Mommy. Tell us the story again! Pleeeease!" little Katie begged, giving me the puppy-dog eyes look. It was so like the old Kate's that I couldn't help but laugh.

"Do not laugh Aunt Amy! _We _want to hear it as well!" Sayeh said scoldingly.

"Please, Auntie? Our names were taken from the people in the story and we want to hear it!" Raevan snapped, sticking a hip out to the side.

Alas, they had a very good point, and I couldn't resist. They were just so damn cute.

So I told the children to make a circle around me.

"Yay! Story time!" Katie chirped.

I was struck by that phrase. It was said exactly like that by Kate when Mackenzie was explaining her story to us for the first time. I smiled. Just as I was about to begin, four other people walked into the room; the kids' parents. They seated themselves in chairs and sofas in the area and looked at me. They knew I was the best at telling this story. I got totally into it.

I was thinking of a way to start when Geoff walked over the children's heads, much to their amusement; they burst into tiny giggles. My husband sat next to me, held my hand, and smiled. He came up with a really good opening too.

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, two special girls came to this world, and it was with their might, their power, their friendship, and their love, that it was able to pull through such a terrible, dark age as the one your parents lived through and fought for. And your namesakes…died for…"

* * *

**RAC: **So yaaaay!! That's the end folks! What'd you think? Did you enjoy my sappy ending and Katie/Jakob death thing? Who saw Nyl becoming a traitor or Amy and Geoff having a baby together? LoL. I didn't, that's for sure. The characters were indeed inspired by my real-life friends and so they took on a life of their own soon enough, making the story come smoothly to mind. I'll let each of them say their good-byes at the end of my little blabber here. I hope you all enjoyed reading the story that took up a good nearly 4 years of my life to write, 2.5 since its birth on this site and if it brightened your day even a little bit I would love to hear from you. I poured my heart and soul into this book and love it to death. Maybe some day I'll go back and rework some stuff, fix some errors, like how Jakob about half-way through stopped using conjunctions, etc. LoL. Also, to the one person who voted that Katie should end up with Geoff in the end, I AM SOOOOO SORRY!!!! I kinda forgot about my poll, and didn't check up on it. _sweatdrop. _But keep in mind that if I HAD seen it, Katie would have ended up with him. My deepest apologies. Kinda weird how this last chapter is number is 111. LoL. Sooo didn't plan that. _Maybe_ what Katie said at the end, about there being a sequel wasn't so false after all. Who knows. So. From this authoress, good-bye to you all!! _smile and waves_

**The Leading Lady, Katie, Based on Myself: **Dammit authoress!! Why did you have to put me through so much hell?! I'm a good girl. Really. But, on another note, I appreciate all the hard work you put into developing my love interest. Thanks. _kisses Jakob_

**Prince Jakob, Based off no one: **My dear creator, I humbly wish to thank you from the bottom of my most unworthy heart, for bringing me to life through the power of your computer. And although I wish there had been another way for me to end up with Katie, I have no regrets. _kisses Katie back_

**Bandit Leader Geoffrey, Based off no one: **Feh. Stupid-ass prince. Even stupider Katie. _glares at them both _Although I know I shoulda ended up with her, I know I'm happier with Amy, whom I love. . . ummm. . . Yahh. I also wish that retarded authoress had looked at the poll in time!!

**Amy, Based off her RL Counterpart: **Hello everyone! Kate, Authoress, whatever you're calling yourself now, you rock! And yes, over the course of writing this story, we have indeed grown apart and may not be entirely best friends like we were in middle school. Just know that I'm happy here in RBP, with my child, whom I named after you. And my husband, Geoff.

**Sarah: **I can't believe I married a moron. . In real-life, I hate his type. But in the story, it kind of figures that we would get together in the end. I guess. LoL. The foreshadowing for that up to this point was really well-done. Let's see a sequel!

**Gaia, the Flamboyant Clavat, Based off no one: **FOR THE LAST FREAKING TIME, I AM NOT GAY!!! _calming down _Ok. Felt like I had to get that off my chest. _glaring at his bolded name _I just want to let everyone know that I have completely given up on womanizing now that I have found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Sarah, you are a woman. I know this. And I looooove yoooou~!!

**Nich, the Korean in RL: **Ugh. Katie. I swear to god. You just HAAAD to post about our relationship in RL in your stupid story, didn't you? u.u'''' Well, I had dated Morgan in 6th grade, for a year, before seventh grade, and I guess you thought we still made a nice couple before you and I started dating, and that's where the Me/Morgan coupling came from. But I still think the wedding could have been more extravagant. . .

**Morgan/Momo, True Definition of Chibi: **_high-flying karate kicks Authoress in the head _WHAT THE HELL?! I kept telling you me and him werent like that in RL!! But ugh. Why'd you name our kid after my little sister?! ((**RAC: **Guilty. XD))

**Hanna, my Giantly Tall Friend: **Again, I am the one working the potions. Like how I got a chapter or two dedicated entirely to me. I liked that. But why am I ALWAYS a mad scientist?! It's 'cause of my glasses, isn't it?! Haha. But why did I freaking die dammit?! Ugh.

**Authoress: **_talking to her characters, her children _Thank you all for being such lovely characters to work with over the years. I appreciate your help with my problems, and I must confess that indeed, some of the scenes in the story that were particularly good were based off the situations I myself was going through at time. No, I won't tell you which ones, but I'm sure you can guess. But I can honestly say that this story wouldn't have gone anywhere unless I felt a truly deep connection with each and every one of you in real life ((**RAC: **That's what RL stands for, btw)) So thanks for being my friend and standing by me through thick and thin, and even though none of you in RL probly remembers this story, since I haven't told you about it since seventh grade, I promise to let you read it somehow or other, all right? Thanks again, to for allowing me to publish this story, especially my sex scene_. sweatdrop_ It was my first time writing something like that, so what'cha think? I appreciate the support from all of my readers and reviewers, especially all my overseas readers as well. ((**RAC: **You too, 1 person from Iceland I saw!! XD)) So this is honestly probly going to be the only story I publish. I hope you guys can forgive me for not updating regularly like I promised. So this is Authoress/Katie, SIGNING OFF.


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